Indrani had Mails Sent on Sheena’s Behalf; Sanjiv Enroute Mumbai
Sheena Bora murder mystery deepens, The Quint uncovers details that could add new twist to the confounding tale.
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Day 2: The House of Mukerjea Spills More Secrets
Yet more members of the Mukerjea household were either questioned, or joined the investigation in the murder of Sheena Bora, on the second day after Indrani Mukerjea’s arrest in the case.
Highlights:
- In a press conference, Mumbai Police Commissioner Raskesh Maria informed that the person, who sent emails terminating Sheena’s employment, and her lease agreement, has disclosed that he did it on Indrani’s (“lady accused”) behest. He also said that Sanjiv Khanna is in the process of being brought to Mumbai.
- At the time of her death, Sheena may have been pregnant, and that fact may have led to her murder, as The Quint reported exclusively.
- An anonymous caller from Meerut gave the Mumbai police the tip-off that Sheena Bora was murdered, The Quint reported.
- A document registered only in 2002 says Sheena was the daughter of her maternal grand-dad. But the granddad says it’s Siddhartha Das, who has not yet been contacted by the cops. In the meanwhile Mikhail Bora, Sheena Bora’s brother has claimed that one Mr Chirag is Sheena’s father. He also said that photographs of Indrani and Chirag together are in his possession.
- Rahul Mukerjea was questioned by the Mumbai police in the morning. Rahul, Peter Mukerjea’s son, had been in a relationship with Sheena Bora at the time of her death. Rahul reportedly confirmed the relationship and added that Indrani did not approve of it.
- In Dispur, Mikhail Bora was also questioned by the police. Mikhail, Sheena Bora’s brother, joined the investigation. He reportedly told the police that he had photos that would prove the true nature of relations between all parties involved.
- Sanjiv Khanna, the arrested ex-husband of Indrani, reportedly said that he was asleep in the car when Sheena Bora was strangulated.
- Shyam Rai, the driver of Indrani Mukerjea who was arrested on Tuesday, reportedly said in a statement that Indrani and Sanjiv picked up Sheena in the car and strangulated her.
Mumbai Police commissioner Rakesh Maria revealed in a press conference that the person who sent Sheena Bora’s resignation, and the e-mail to her landlord ending the lease agreement, has said in a statement recorded today that they did so after being asked by the “lady accused” (Indrani).
Maria also added that the transit remand for Sanjiv Khanna has been cleared, and that he is being brought to Mumbai.
Vidhie Mukerjea, Indrani and Sanjiv’s Daughter Speaks out
I’m as shocked as anyone reading the news currently...
— Vidhie Mukerjea on India Today TV
Recalling a visit to her grandparents’ home in Guwhati, Vidhie Mukerjea in an interview to India Today TV said,
I would call them Nana and Nani... And Sheena would call them Papa and Mamma.
When asked about her mother’s relationship with her biological father Sanjiv Khanna, she said, “I can’t recall my mother having any contact with Sanjiv Khanna.”
Adding that she knew Indrani was not happy about the relationship between Rahul Mukerjea and Sheena Bora, Vidhie added, “No one questioned about Sheena’s disappearance, my relationship with her wasn’t that strong to go after her.”
Vidhie also told Rahul Kanwal on India Today TV that Indrani told them (Peter Mukherjea and herself) that Sheena did not want to be in touch with any one from the Mukerjea family, and since Sheena wasn’t a huge part of their lives, they left it at that.
When asked about her relationship with Sanjiv Khanna, she simply said, “Even though Sanjiv Khanna has been my biological dad, for me Peter Mukherjea was my real dad.”
Three men Identified as Sheena Bora’s Father?
This revelation made by India Today TV on Twitter has brought to light the fact that three different men were identified as Sheena Bora’s father.
One Mr Chirag from Shillong has been claimed to be Sheena’s father by her brother Mikhail Bora. The other is her grandfather, listed in her birth certificate as her father according to a Times Now report.
The third is Siddharth Das, identified as her father by her grandfather, according to India Today.
Top Journalist Summoned
The Quint learns that a top journalist involved in the operations of INX Media, the company that the Mukerjeas owned and ran till 2009, has been summoned by the Mumbai police. He has been asked to join the investigation.
Peter Mukerjea Interview: Call Me Stupid, But I Believed Indrani
Times Now has just played out an audio interview of Peter Mukerjea by Arnab Goswami. In it, Peter Mukerjea says:
[My wife] is innocent until proven guilty. Let the law take its course.
Sheena told me, “Jiju, I’m not her sister but I’m her daughter.” I met her and Rahul just before 2011 and she said, “I like you, and Rahul is my boyfriend and I can’t live this lie.”
Call me stupid but I believed Indrani. I was blindsided by my love for my wife.
I am horrified [at Sheena’s murder and Indrani’s arrest]. It’s completely unbelievable.
Indrani Mukerjea found out that Sheena had a liaison with a man “close” to her, suggest friends of the Mukerjeas.
Peter Mukerjea has reportedly left for the Khar police station where he might be questioned by Mumbai police.
Times Now reports that a birth certificate of Sheena Bora’s, made in 2002 also cites her grandfather as her father.
Related Story
Was Sheena Bora Pregnant?
Even as the sordid and unsavoury details of Indrani Mukerjea’s dark and murky personal and professional life continue to emerge, we are learning that the most proximate motive for her to murder her daughter Sheena Bora may have been a desperate need to safeguard her finances and prevent a certain element of personal life from going public... Read full story here.
Times Now reports that Mikhail Bora’s birth certificate cites his grandfather as his father.
According to Times Now, Rahul Mukerjea’s grandmother says Peter is lying. She said that Peter knew Sheena was Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter and not her sister.
The grandmother is Peter’s ex-wife Shabnam’s mother.
CNN-IBN reports that Indrani Mukerjea’s driver Shyam Rai has given his version of the sequence of events in his statement to the Mumbai police.
Sheena’s brother Mikhail Bora is at Dispur police station to record a statement after being questioned for an hour by Mumbai police.
Times Now reports that during questioning, Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani’s ex-husband, claimed that he had no knowledge of the crime and that he fell asleep in Indrani Mukerjea’s car.
Khanna also claimed that he was with Indrani Mukerjea in the back seat of the car and he had fallen asleep. When he woke up, Sheena’s body was allegedly next to him in the car.
Sanjeev Khanna’s lawyer says that his client was in Mumbai on April 24, 2012 (the day Sheena Bora was killed) and left the city the next day. He was unaware of the murder.
Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani’s ex-husband, has appealed for bail, according to Times Now. Mumbai police had sought a seven-day remand for Khanna when he was produced in Alipore court.
The court has put a stay on the transit remand sought by Mumbai police.
Times Now reports that during the interrogation, this is what Rahul Mukerjea had told Mumbai police about the day of the murder.
A Mumbai police team has reached Indrani’s parents’ house in Guwahati to speak with Mikhail Bora. Sheena was living there with her grandparents till she left Guwahati for Mumbai a few years ago. Her brother Mikhail still lives there.
Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani’s ex-husband, is being taken to Alipore court in Kolkata where Mumbai police will ask for his transit remand.
In a fresh statement, Mikhail Bora has alleged that during the time he was in Guwahati, his mother Indrani Mukerjea offered him a job with a salary of Rs 50,000. He said that Indrani threatened to cut off all financial support to his grandparents if he did not take it up.
Mikhail reiterated that he is waiting for his mother to tell the truth to Mumbai police.
I am waiting for her to tell the truth to the police. I have photographs that reveal the true nature of relationships between all parties involved.
– Mikhail Bora, Sheena’s brother and Indrani’s son
Mikhail has said that he will fully cooperate with Mumbai police if they approach him.
Multiple Motives Possible: Mikhail Bora
Mikhail Bora said that there might be many motives behind Sheena’s murder. He said that her relationship with Rahul Mukerjea might be one reason but the theory of financial disputes cannot be ruled out.
Mikhail said that if he could have been targeted for money, then Sheena could also have been murdered for financial reasons.
Mikhail said that after hearing reports of financial disputes, he fears for his life. He said Indrani might have planned to kill him for his house in Guwahati.
Television reports suggest that during the questioning, Mumbai police had put 14 questions to Rahul Mukerjea. According to Times Now, these are some of the questions and this is how Rahul responded.
Police: Since when have you known Sheena Bora?
Rahul: I was introduced to her during a party.
Police: You and Sheena were in a relationship for six years and even lived together in a flat in Bandra?
Rahul: That is true.
Police: Were you not concerned about Sheena’s disappearance?
Rahul: (Remains quiet, then says) No, I was not too worried because suddenly at the time we were unable to get in touch with her.
Police: Was Indrani Mukerjea against your relationship with Sheena?
Rahul: Yes, she was not at all in favour of us meeting each other.
Police: Did you have a tiff with your father about your relationship with Sheena?
Rahul: Yes, we had many confrontations.
TV reports say that during the interrogation, Mumbai police showed Sanjeev Khanna a detailed bill of his mobile phone. The bill had details of his conversations with Indrani Mukerjea in April 2012, around the time Sheena Bora was killed.
Reports say that he was silent when asked about these phone calls.
Times Now reports that Mumbai police is looking into Sanjeev Khanna’s involvement in the murder of Sheena Bora.
CNN-IBN reports that during the questioning Khanna allegedly told Mumbai police that he wanted Indrani Mukerjea and his daughter Vidhie back in his life.
Sanjeev Khanna is Indrani Mukerjea’s ex-husband.
Times Now reports that Rahul Mukerjea and Sheena Bora were allegedly living together in a flat in Khar, Mumbai.
Mumbai police to take Rahul to the flat to verify the location which is part of the investigation.
NDTV reports that Rahul Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea’s son, has been moved to an undisclosed location.
The report also says that at the moment, the police are probing two possible motives. They are trying to verify if there is an angle of financial dispute.
Peter Mukerjea, Indrani’s husband, is expected to reach Khar police station any moment now for questioning.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria is also expected to reach soon.
Did Indrani Impersonate Sheena After her Death?
TV reports say that Rahul Mukerjea allegedly received a text message on his mobile phone two days after Sheena Bora was killed. This is presumably the same message in which Sheena Bora allegedly wanted out of the relationship with Rahul.
Times Now reports that Indrani had allegedly introduced herself as Sheena Bora.
CNN-IBN reports that Indrani Mukerjea and her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna were paying Mikhail Bora Rs 40,000 per month. Mikhail is Indrani’s son and Sheena’s brother.
Reports also say that Indrani repeatedly asked Mikhail to come to Mumbai but he had refused.
Kolkata police sources told CNN-IBN that Mikhail Bora could have been Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna’s next target.
Joint team of Mumbai police and Kolkata police questioned Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani Mukerjea’s ex-husband, this morning.
Khanna will be produced before the court today for Mumbai police to seek a transit remand.
CNN-IBN reports that Mikhail Bora, Sheena’s brother, might have been Indrani Mukerjea and Sanjeev Khanna’s next target. Reports say he could have been the target because he was asking Indrani about Sheena’s whereabouts.
Questions Posed to Rahul by Mumbai Police
Here are some of the questions posed to Rahul Mukerjea, son of Peter Mukerjea, by Mumbai police during the second round of investigation. Rahul Mukerjea has been called in this morning for a second round of investigation.
– Did Rahul Mukerjea know Sheena Bora? Were the two in a relationship?
– Did he know that Sheena Bora was Indrani’s daughter, not her sister?
– When did he last meet Sheena Bora?
– Did he file a missing persons report with the police when he could not contact her?
– Did he ever share any information about Sheena Bora with his father Peter Mukerjea?
During the interrogation, Rahul Mukerjea has confirmed that he was in a relationship with Sheena Bora. Sources say he is fully cooperating with Mumbai police.
CNN-IBN reports that Sheena Bora took leave of absence on April 24, 2012 and subsequently sent her resignation letter.
On Wednesday, Mumbai police claimed that Sheena Bora was killed in April, 2012.
I Tried to Find Sheena: Rahul Mukerjea
Times Now reports that during the questioning, Rahul Mukerjea has said that he tried to find Sheena Bora after she went “missing”. Report also says that he couldn’t find her as Indrani Mukerjea did not give him any further details.
Rahul Mukerjea has been summoned for a second round of questioning. He is currently at the Khar police station.
Times Now reports that during the first round Rahul Mukerjea was asked 14 questions about his relationship with Sheena Bora.
Indrani impersonated Sheena after killing her, police claim. Call records and mobile tower tracking showed that Sheena and Indrani’s phones were usually at the same location for a year after Sheena fell off the grid. Indrani allegedly used the phone to “break off” with Rahul Mukerjea. [Indian Express]
There are ‘technical problems’ with regards to DNA of Sheena, police sources tell The Quint.
The DNA sample will be most crucial to establish police’s claim that the body found in Pen forest was Sheena.
If the burn injuries are 100 per cent, then it would be next to impossible to get DNA sample, especially since so much time has passed by.
— A forensic official at Kalina Forensic Science Laborator to Indian Express
Peter Mukherjea is likely to be questioned today, reports ANI.
Rahul Mukerjea, who could be the key to cracking Indrani’s true motive, was questioned by Mumbai Police at the Khar police station late last evening.
Driver Shyam Rai who was the first to be arrested in this case, reportedly told the police that Indrani had asked Sheena to meet her outside her college.
“Indrani insisted over the phone that she come alone. After Rahul dropped Sheena at the spot and left, Sheena saw Khanna sitting on the rear seat of Indrani’s car and refused to get in. But Indrani pulled Sheena inside and the car took off, with Rai driving,” a police officer told Times of India.
What We Know So Far
- Sheena Bora’s employment records show that she had resigned on May 6, 2012, which is after she was killed. Mumbai police had claimed that she was killed on April 24, 2012. [Indian Express]
- Police say it could be ‘honour killing’. Indrani opposed Sheena’s relationship with her step-brother Rahul, Peter Mukerjea’s son from an earlier marriage. The two were planning to marry according to the police. [The Quint]
- Police are also probing a financial motive linked to proceeds from the TV channel where the Mukerjeas were the power couple. According to a report in Tehelka (which has now been taken offline), Peter and Indrani funnelled huge sums of money to various members of the family during the audit of their company, 9x Media, in 2009. Now, the police have revealed that Sheena refused to transfer the money back.
- Police are also examining the theory if Sheena was blackmailing Indrani by threatening to reveal to Peter Mukerjea that she was her daughter and not her sister. [TOI]
- After killing Sheena, Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna had also planned to kill Mikhail, Sheena’s brother, the cops claim. Khanna’s alleged motive was to have Vidhie, his own daughter from Indrani, get Sheena’s share of the Indrani’s property. [TOI]
Who Said What
- Indrani Mukerjea, who is a key suspect, is Sheena’s mother, and not sister as she had originally claimed. This was confirmed by Sheena Bora’s brother Mikhail Bora.
- Mikhail Bora said he was shattered to learn of his sister’s death. He had been told she was abroad for studies. Mikhail now says he believes his mother Indrani was behind Sheena’s murder. He also says that if Indrani denies any of the facts then he will come clean to the media on August 31, 2015.
- Peter Mukerjea, Indrani’s husband, supplied a potential motive. In media interviews, he said that Indrani was upset that his son Rahul Mukerjea and Sheena had an affair. Rahul and Sheena are step siblings. Rahul Mukerjea was subsequently questioned by the police.
- Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani’s second husband, was arrested in Kolkata. His was the third arrest in the case, after the arrests of Indrani Mukerjea and her driver Shyam Rai.
- Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said in a media statement that Sheena Bora was strangulated and later burnt. In an unusual move, he claimed publicly that the trio had killed Sheena Bora. He also said Sheena’s remains were discovered almost a month after her murder in April 2012.
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