Day 14: Maria to Stay Incharge of Sheena Bora Investigation
Get updates on the Sheena Bora murder case as the investigation unfolds.
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Institution of Mumbai Police Commissioner Damaged
Former Police Officer YP Singh has said on Times Now said that the knee jerk reactions to Rakesh Maria’s probe into the Sheena Bora muder case and his uncovering of the financial angle may have been the reason for his transfer. He also added that some ‘special interest groups’ developed cold feet and may have orchestrated Maria’s transfer thereby causing irreparable damage to the institution of the Mumbai Police Commissioner.
Maria will Continue to Head Sheena Murder Probe
Rakesh Maria will continue to head investigations into Sheena Bora murder case till probe is completed, Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary (Home) has said, the Press Trust of India reported.
Language Barrier
After maintaining that he did not know Peter Mukerjea, Rakesh Maria himself quizzed him. This was only to play English translator for Peter, Times Now reported a person close to Maria as saying.
Meanwhile, Satyapal Singh, the former Mumbai police commissioner has said that there must have been a compelling reason for Maria’s ouster.
According to media reports, Maria was not aware of the government decision to promote him until Tuesday morning.
Mumbai police officers bid farewell to Rakesh Maria as the police commissioner of Mumbai police as Ahmed Javed takes charge.
Sanjeev Khanna, Third Suspect in Sheena Bora Murder Case, in Judicial Custody
Sanjeev Khanna has been remanded to judicial custody till September 21 by a court in Bandra, Mumbai.
Sanjeev Khanna is Indrani Mukerjea’s first husband and was being interrogated for his involvement in Sheena’s murder along with Indrani and her driver Shyam Rai.
On Tuesday, his lawyer Shreyansh Mithare filed an application before a court in Mumbai alleging that he is in “illegal” detention after which the court sought a report from the police.
The new Mumbai Police Commissioner, Ahmed Javed, pointed at a possibility of improvement in the Sheena Bora murder investigation.
- Leaving the question related to Peter Mukerjea questioning unanswered, Ahmed Javed asked for time before he or any of his officers answered questions related to the investigation.
- He also pointed out that the Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, had clarified no cracks in the financial angle of the murder investigation.
The accused are already in judicial custody so it has clear bearing that as far as interrogation goes, it is over at this point. The investigation will be monitored in the right professional way as it deserves.
— Ahmed Javed, Mumbai Police Commissioner
TV Reports Hint Maria’s Team Investigating Sheena Case Disbanded
All investigating and supervisory officers in the Sheena Bora murder case have been transferred out, reports CNN-IBN quoting sources. Dinesh Kadam, the investigating officer is among the personnel who were transferred.
However, Ahmed Javed, the new Mumbai police commissioner stated that the investigation team will not be transferred.
“Maria Paid a Lot of Attention to Sheena Bora Murder Investigation”
Former Mumbai police chief and BJP MP Satyapal Singh hinted at ‘friendly relations’ between Rakesh Maria and Peter Mukerjea as a possible cause for being shunted upstairs. Satyapal Singh made this claim to CNN-IBN.
KP Bakshi, Home Secretary of Maharashtra denied that it was a political transfer.
Sheena Murder Casualty No 1: Rakesh Maria
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria has been shifted to Home Guards as Director General.
Ahmed Javed to take over as the new Mumbai Police Commissioner.
Maria was due for a promotion on September 30, after his tenure of two years, according to a CNN-IBN report.
Maria was active in the Sheena Bora murder case; he even quizzed Peter Mukerjea himself.
Earlier, The Quint found out that Maria had a hunch about Sheena’s disappearance and started an investigation three months before the case became public.
Sheena Bora was murdered because of greed, police sources tell India Today. Sheena’s increasing demand for money was making Indrani Mukerjea uncomfortable.
Sanjeev Khanna told The Telegraph that “I know I am in trouble..but I will get out of it.”
Sanjeev in Kolkata led the police to the shoes that Sheena was wearing when her body was dumped at Pen in Raigad in 2012. In addition to that, we have recovered part of Sheena’s jewellery as well.
–Rakesh Maria, Mumbai police commissioner
Two weeks after Indrani Mukerjea was arrested for the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, new information is coming to light.
What We Know
Mumbai Mirror reports that the investigators now have transcripts of Skype calls between Indrani Mukerjea and her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna.
- Police sources have said that the conversations centred on how to get rid of Sheena, and her brother Mikhail. Cops also have details of at least four emails exchanged between Indrani and Khanna. (Mumbai Mirror)
- In one conversation, Khanna allegedly suggested hiring a hitman to kill Sheena. During one such conversation in February 2012, Indrani purportedly told Khanna that her driver Shyam Rai had been roped into the murder plan. (Mumbai Mirror)
- “Indrani and Shyam visited at least 10 places, including the Aarey Colony in Goregaon, the jungles around Mulund and Thane, Khandala and Karjat as possible spots to dispose off the body. In March, Indrani had gone to Raigad for a party at a friend’s farmhouse, and decided that the area was a perfect place to conceal a murder,” the source said. (Mumbai Mirror)
- With the digital matching of the skull found in Raigad with Sheena’s facial image, the police and the prosecution will no longer need to depend solely on circumstantial evidence and statements from witnesses to build their case against Indrani, said legal experts. The scientific evidence buttresses their case, they added. (Times of India)
- “For more than a year, Indrani impersonated her daughter. We have the messages that she exchanged with various people. If Indrani kept claiming that her daughter was in the US, we now have digital evidence to prove that the location of most of the Facebook messages were Mumbai and the UK,” said an officer. (The Indian Express)
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