Peter Mukerjea has agreed to divorce: Indrani's lawyer

MUMBAI: Former media baron Peter Mukerjea has agreed to grant divorce to his wife

Indrani

, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, her lawyer said on Monday.

The divorce procedure may take some time as both are in jail, a lawyer representing Indrani in the murder case told reporters outside a Mumbai court.

"We have received a reply through registered post from Peter's lawyer and they have agreed to divorce by mutual consent," she said.

When contacted, a lawyer from Peter Mukerjea's side said on the condition of anonymity that a reply was sent to Indrani's notice, and "we are working on the terms of the divorce".

Stating that the marriage had "irretrievably broken down", Indrani had sent a divorce notice to Peter Mukerjea in April this year.

Both Indrani and Peter are facing trial in the murder case of Sheena Bora. Sheena (24), Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship, was killed in April 2012, according to the investigators.

The murder came to light in August 2015 when the Mukerjeas' former driver Shyamvar Rai spilled the beans when he was arrested in another case.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the killing was the fall-out of a financial dispute.

Meanwhile, the defence lawyers today completed the cross-examination of Pradeep Waghmare, a former domestic help of the Mukerjeas.

They submitted that there were some contradictions in his statement to the police.

He had told the police, which probed the case before the CBI took over, that he had sought Rs 20,000 from Indrani for his children's education, and when she refused, he got angry and quit.

However, in the court, Waghmare said this was not his reason for quitting, and the police had put words in his mouth.

The next hearing is scheluded for June 25.

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