Prime time murder: Indrani's 2nd husband holds key to Sheena murder mystery: Cops
Business tycoon Sanjeev Khanna arrested in Kolkata for helping her strangle Sheena in a car in Khar on April 24, 2012 and disposing of body.
A day after high-profile TV executive Indrani Mukerjea was arrested for the murder of her 25-year-old daughter Sheena Bora, who she bafflingly introduced to everyone as her sister, the police arrested Indrani’s exhusband Sanjeev Khanna in Kolkata on murder, abetment and conspiracy charges.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said on Wednesday that Khanna and Indrani strangled Sheena inside a car in Khar on April 24, 2012, and burned and buried her body in Gagode Khind, Raigad district. Indrani’s driver, Shyamvar Rai, who was arrested on Tuesday, helped them carry out the killing, which was spurred by Indrani’s fears for a potential property dispute with Sheena.
The revelation shocked Indrani’s current husband, TV honcho Peter Mukerjea, who said that he was made to believe that Sheena was his wife’s sister and was studying in the US since 2012.
Peter, a former head of Star India and INX Media, gave another twist to the case by revealing that Sheena had an affair with his son from a previous marriage and that Indrani strongly disapproved of the relationship.
Maria said that Indrani planned the murder because she feared that Sheena would marry Peter’s son, Rahul, and tell everyone that the two women were not sisters, but mother and daughter. As Rahul’s wife, Sheena would have been entitled to a significant share of Peter’s property.
Sheena was last seen by friends and family members in April 2012. Indrani, according to investigators, told everyone that Sheena had moved to the US.
The police began doubting the claim two months ago after an informer called up Maria, saying he had crucial leads on Sheena’s disappearance. The call alarmed the police as no family member or friend had ever approached them saying Sheena was missing. Preliminary inquiries led to the suspicion that Sheena may have been murdered by Indrani.
Based on the informer’s tip, investigators started keeping an eye on the movements of Indrani’s driver, Shyamvar Rai, who had started leading a lavish lifestyle, according to Maria. On August 21, they arrested Rai for illegally possessing a pistol.
Under intense interrogation, he spilled the beans on the murder conspiracy and Indrani and 52-year-old Khanna’s involvement.
Sheena and Rahul used to apparently live together in Khar. On April 24, 2012, Indrani called Sheena downstairs and asked her to get inside her car. Rai and Khanna were also in the car. Indrani and Khanna allegedly strangled her. The body was kept in the car for the rest of the day and the vehicle was parked in Peter's garage at his Worli residence.
On April 25, 2012, the three suspects drove to Gagode Khind in Raigad district, where Rai allegedly smashed a dead Sheena’s face with a stone. The body was then burned and buried.
A month later, partial remains of a woman were found in the area, but at the time, police officials could not identify her. Investigators now believe they were Sheena’s.
According to Maria, before arresting Indrani, Khanna and Rai, investigators examined their call records of the past three years. The data showed the three at the same spot at the same time on April 24, 2012.
On Tuesday, Indrani maintained that Sheena was her sister and in the US. She reportedly admitted that Sheena was her sister on Wednesday. Khanna will be brought to Mumbai from Kolkata on a transit remand.
The police also plan to question Peter, who said on Wednesday that he would cooperate with authorities. Peter said he had been “mentally very shocked” by his wife’s arrest. “I am dumbstruck by this level of criminality,” he said.
On the revelation that Sheena was Indrani’s daughter, he said: “I was always told by Indrani that Sheena was her sister. And Sheena always maintained that. My son at one time was in relationship with Sheena. He told me Sheena is not her sister, she is Indrani’s daughter. I told him that look, it is not true. Indrani has told me that she is her sister.
“I believed my wife, so much so that it created a rift between me and my son. I have not spoken to him for last three years.”
Peter said he was not aware of Sheena’s disappearance. “It is something I am finding out now. I was told that Sheena had gone to the United States. I am not on Facebook, but I was shown these pictures of Los Angeles or wherever she was. I didn’t have her contact number,” he said.
“My son had told me ‘See, something is not right’, but I said her parents may not be happy with it, so she might have moved to the US... He didn’t talk to me then.”
A few hours before Mikhail confirmed to television channels that Indrani was his and Sheena’s mother, investigators learned about it from an anonymous caller from Meerut.
WHO IS WHO
Mikhail Mukerjea
Indrani’s son
Son of Indrani Mukerjea and younger brother of Sheena Bora. He lives in Guwahati with his grandparents. He claims he knows why his mother murdered his sister and is waiting for her to reveal everything or else he will.
Sanjeev Khanna
Indrani's second husband
The second husband of Indrani Mukerjea. He is from Kolkata and has business interests in Kolkata and Jamshedpur. It is learnt that he has a resort in North 24 Parganas. He has been arrested as the police suspect he is hiding something. He will be produced in court on Thursday.
Rahul Mukerjea
Peter's son
Peter Mukerjea’s son from his earlier marriage. He had a relationship with Sheena, a fact that even Peter Mukerjea has admitted. In fact, there was domestic strife over this relationship and Peter had not been speaking to Rahul for three years. (((Mumbai police say they will make him the key witness in the case))
Peter Mukerjea
Indrani's husband and ex-Star India CEO
Former CEO of Star India during whose time the blockbuster Kaun Banega Crorepati was launched. He had an immensely successful run in the TV business and then took over as Chairman of INX Media
Sheena Bora
Indrani's daughter
Indiani introduced Sheena as her sister but on Wednesday she admitted to the police that she was, in fact, her daughter. She studied at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai and joined Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd as an Assistant manager in June 2011. She went missing from April 2012 and Indrani told everybody that she had moved to New York.
A day after high-profile TV executive Indrani Mukerjea was arrested for the murder of her 25-year-old daughter Sheena Bora, who she bafflingly introduced to everyone as her sister, the police arrested Indrani’s exhusband Sanjeev Khanna in Kolkata on murder, abetment and conspiracy charges.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said on Wednesday that Khanna and Indrani strangled Sheena inside a car in Khar on April 24, 2012, and burned and buried her body in Gagode Khind, Raigad district. Indrani’s driver, Shyamvar Rai, who was arrested on Tuesday, helped them carry out the killing, which was spurred by Indrani’s fears for a potential property dispute with Sheena.
Maria provided fresh details in the complex but quickly unravelling case as it emerged that Sheena was 43-year-old Indrani’s daughter from a serious relationship she had years ago. Sheena’s brother, Mikhail Bora, confirmed the same to television channels on Wednesday.
The revelation shocked Indrani’s current husband, TV honcho Peter Mukerjea, who said that he was made to believe that Sheena was his wife’s sister and was studying in the US since 2012.
Peter, a former head of Star India and INX Media, gave another twist to the case by revealing that Sheena had an affair with his son from a previous marriage and that Indrani strongly disapproved of the relationship.
Maria said that Indrani planned the murder because she feared that Sheena would marry Peter’s son, Rahul, and tell everyone that the two women were not sisters, but mother and daughter. As Rahul’s wife, Sheena would have been entitled to a significant share of Peter’s property.
Sheena was last seen by friends and family members in April 2012. Indrani, according to investigators, told everyone that Sheena had moved to the US.
The police began doubting the claim two months ago after an informer called up Maria, saying he had crucial leads on Sheena’s disappearance. The call alarmed the police as no family member or friend had ever approached them saying Sheena was missing. Preliminary inquiries led to the suspicion that Sheena may have been murdered by Indrani.
Based on the informer’s tip, investigators started keeping an eye on the movements of Indrani’s driver, Shyamvar Rai, who had started leading a lavish lifestyle, according to Maria. On August 21, they arrested Rai for illegally possessing a pistol.
Under intense interrogation, he spilled the beans on the murder conspiracy and Indrani and 52-year-old Khanna’s involvement.
Sheena and Rahul used to apparently live together in Khar. On April 24, 2012, Indrani called Sheena downstairs and asked her to get inside her car. Rai and Khanna were also in the car. Indrani and Khanna allegedly strangled her. The body was kept in the car for the rest of the day and the vehicle was parked in Peter's garage at his Worli residence.
On April 25, 2012, the three suspects drove to Gagode Khind in Raigad district, where Rai allegedly smashed a dead Sheena’s face with a stone. The body was then burned and buried.
A month later, partial remains of a woman were found in the area, but at the time, police officials could not identify her. Investigators now believe they were Sheena’s.
According to Maria, before arresting Indrani, Khanna and Rai, investigators examined their call records of the past three years. The data showed the three at the same spot at the same time on April 24, 2012.
On Tuesday, Indrani maintained that Sheena was her sister and in the US. She reportedly admitted that Sheena was her sister on Wednesday. Khanna will be brought to Mumbai from Kolkata on a transit remand.
The police also plan to question Peter, who said on Wednesday that he would cooperate with authorities. Peter said he had been “mentally very shocked” by his wife’s arrest. “I am dumbstruck by this level of criminality,” he said.
On the revelation that Sheena was Indrani’s daughter, he said: “I was always told by Indrani that Sheena was her sister. And Sheena always maintained that. My son at one time was in relationship with Sheena. He told me Sheena is not her sister, she is Indrani’s daughter. I told him that look, it is not true. Indrani has told me that she is her sister.
“I believed my wife, so much so that it created a rift between me and my son. I have not spoken to him for last three years.”
Peter said he was not aware of Sheena’s disappearance. “It is something I am finding out now. I was told that Sheena had gone to the United States. I am not on Facebook, but I was shown these pictures of Los Angeles or wherever she was. I didn’t have her contact number,” he said.
“My son had told me ‘See, something is not right’, but I said her parents may not be happy with it, so she might have moved to the US... He didn’t talk to me then.”
A few hours before Mikhail confirmed to television channels that Indrani was his and Sheena’s mother, investigators learned about it from an anonymous caller from Meerut.
WHO IS WHO
Mikhail Mukerjea
Indrani’s son
Son of Indrani Mukerjea and younger brother of Sheena Bora. He lives in Guwahati with his grandparents. He claims he knows why his mother murdered his sister and is waiting for her to reveal everything or else he will.
Sanjeev Khanna
Indrani's second husband
The second husband of Indrani Mukerjea. He is from Kolkata and has business interests in Kolkata and Jamshedpur. It is learnt that he has a resort in North 24 Parganas. He has been arrested as the police suspect he is hiding something. He will be produced in court on Thursday.
Rahul Mukerjea
Peter's son
Peter Mukerjea’s son from his earlier marriage. He had a relationship with Sheena, a fact that even Peter Mukerjea has admitted. In fact, there was domestic strife over this relationship and Peter had not been speaking to Rahul for three years. (((Mumbai police say they will make him the key witness in the case))
Peter Mukerjea
Indrani's husband and ex-Star India CEO
Former CEO of Star India during whose time the blockbuster Kaun Banega Crorepati was launched. He had an immensely successful run in the TV business and then took over as Chairman of INX Media
Sheena Bora
Indrani's daughter
Indiani introduced Sheena as her sister but on Wednesday she admitted to the police that she was, in fact, her daughter. She studied at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai and joined Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd as an Assistant manager in June 2011. She went missing from April 2012 and Indrani told everybody that she had moved to New York.
