Mumbai, Nov 21: Peter Mukerjea, husband of prime accused Indrani Mukerjea in the Sheena Bora murder case has been charged with murder, a day after his arrest.
He was sent to CBI custody by a local court till Monday.
The CBI, which arrested Peter on Thursday told the court of Metropolitan Magistrate that the former media baron was involved in conspiracy with his wife Indrani and had played an active role in the murder of his step-daughter.
Sheena was Indrani’s daughter from her first marriage.
The central probe agency also told the court that Peter was in continuous conversation with Indrani prior, during and after the gruesome murder.
The Metropolitan Magistrate also transferred the trial in the case to a sessions court here and directed the three accused–Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai– be produced there on December 3.
The accused were arrested in August this year, and have been in judicial custody since then.
The CBI charge-sheet said fear of Sheena Bora inheriting the entire property of her and her husband in the event of the victim’s marriage to Peter Mukerjea’s son Rahul is said to be the prime motive for Indrani Mukerjea to do away with her daughter.
Indrani, who has a soft corner for Vidhie, her daughter with former husband Sanjeev Khanna, feared that the entire property might go to Sheena and Rahul if they were married.
In this context, she planned a conspiracy with Khanna and her driver Shyam Rai to kill Sheena Bora, CBI said.
The CBI told the Metropolitan Magistrate here Peter Mukherjea was allegedly involved in the conspiracy with his wife Indrani and had played an active role in the commission of the offence and also misled his son Rahul to hide the fact that Sheena was murdered.
There was a dispute between Sheena and Indrani, and Peter had acted as a mediator, Singh told the court, it said.
The charge-sheet said that Rahul and Sheena were about to get married and after that she (Sheena) could have got a share of property. And they (CBI) are looking into this (angle).
The probe agency also said that (when) Peter and Indrani returned separately (from the US) they were constantly in touch with each other, which was not normal at other times.
