“My Mother Was Left Penniless” – Explosive Claims By Indrani Mukerjea’s Daughter In Court

Vidhie Mukerjea, daughter of Indrani Mukerjea, has strongly denied giving any statement to investigative agencies in the Sheena Bora murder case, describing the documents included in the CBI chargesheet as "forged and fabricated."

On Tuesday, in a major blow to the prosecution, Vidhie told Special CBI Judge J P Darekar that she never recorded any formal statement. Vidhie, the daughter of Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna-both accused in the high-profile case-was a minor at the time of the 2012 crime. She has often spoken about the emotional trauma she endured following her mother's arrest.

Claims of Forgery

During her deposition, Vidhie admitted that she had been questioned by both Mumbai Police and the CBI. However, she asserted that she never dictated or submitted a written statement. She claimed she was asked to sign bundles of documents, including blank papers and alleged emails exchanged with Sheena Bora. When presented with the chargesheet, she maintained that the statement attributed to her was fabricated with "malafide intentions."

Allegations Against Peter Mukerjea's Family

Vidhie also leveled serious allegations against Peter Mukerjea's sons, Rahul and Rabin. She accused them of siphoning off her mother's ancestral jewellery worth several crores and cash deposits amounting to over Rs 7 crore. According to her, this left Indrani without resources for legal defence. She alleged that Rahul and Rabin even opened a new locker in their own names to store the stolen jewellery, and insisted they could not have done so without Peter Mukerjea's knowledge.

Vidhie further claimed that because both Rahul and Rabin were facing financial strain, they had a vested interest in ensuring Indrani remained behind bars, since her release could have forced them to return the assets.

Family Tensions and Past Relations

Recalling her personal interactions, Vidhie said that Sheena Bora had initially introduced herself as Indrani's sister. While the family shared a close bond at first, tensions reportedly escalated after Rahul Mukerjea began frequenting their Mumbai home. Vidhie alleged that Rahul was using hard drugs and that Bora had also become involved. She last met Bora during a wedding in Goa in 2011 and said they remained in touch through emails until 2013.

Prosecution's Stand

According to the prosecution, Sheena Bora, then 24, was strangled to death in April 2012 inside a car by Indrani Mukerjea, her driver Shyamvar Rai, and Sanjeev Khanna. Her body was allegedly burnt and disposed of in a forest in Raigad. The case surfaced in 2015 after Rai, arrested under the Arms Act, confessed to the murder. Investigators further claim that Indrani continued sending emails from Sheena's account to create the impression that she was alive.

(With inputs from PTI)