Indrani’s fear a motive in Sheena case: Khar police

MUMBAI: A month into the Sheena Bora murder case probe, Khar police have concluded that the motive for the crime was her mother Indrani Mukerjea’s insecurity as well as fears that her lies would be nailed.
These are some of the case details the police are likely to submit to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The government has proposed that the CBI take over the investigation, though the formal order is yet to reach Khar police.
On Monday, Bandra Metropolitan magistrate, through video conferencing, remanded all the three accused in the case — Indrani, second husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai — to further judicial custody till October 5.Police said due to Ganpati bandobast, the trio was not produced in court. While Indrani is lodged in Byculla women’s jail, Khanna and Rai are in Arthur Road jail.
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Indrani, said Khar police, was worried her daughter Sheena would take over husband Peter Mukerjea’s assets once she married Rahul, Peter’s son from first wife Shabnam. They also said that Indrani was angered by Sheena and son Mikhail’s threats to expose her lies to Peter — that in reality she was their mother and not sister as she had informed him. Indrani paid Sheena and Mikhail Rs 40,000 monthly pocket money but police said the sum was meant to buy their silence. Cops have also prima facie ruled out Pritam alias Peter Mukerjea’s role in the case.
The police report said that Indrani decided to do away with Sheena after she began to demand a 3BHK flat in Bandra reportedly “to keep her mouth shut”. TOI had reported in its September 11 edition that after strangulating Sheena inside a car, in a fit of rage, Indrani sat on Sheena’s chest and repeatedly shouted, “Now take the 3BHK flat in Bandra.”
Indrani, who married Peter in 2002, had maintained that Sheena and Mikhail were her siblings. Rahul and Sheena got into a relationship and planned to get married but Indrani was against the idea. Indrani had even allegedly tried to kill Mikhail. Police also said there was a strong possibility that Peter may have been the arrested trio’s next target.
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Police said in a span of eight years, Indrani had managed to become a co-owner of all of Peter’s properties, including a duplex flat in Marlow building at Pochkhanwala Road in Worli, a plush office in Phenonix Mills in Parel, as well as properties in London. Police said though are yet to confirm the information, they have learnt that a flat in Delhi is in Sheena’s name and that Indrani allegedly wanted it transferred in hers.
Other than this angle, police also strongly believe that when Sheena broke the news that she wanted to marry Rahul, Indrani was very disturbed and insisted that she break up. Peter kept quiet and did not object to their realtionship.
Meanwhile, Khar police have also asked the forensic auditing team that comprises tax consultants, experts and chartered accountants to wrap up their investigation at the earliest as they have to hand over the probe to the CBI.