Indrani strangled Sheena, I helped her, says driver

The accused-turned-approver said that Mukerjea strangled Sheena inside a car while he covered Sheena's mouth.

Shyamvar Rai, driver of Indrani Mukerjea, accused his ex-employer of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora by strangling her inside a car, in a 12-page statement to the court.

The accused-turned-approver said that Mukerjea strangled Sheena inside a car on April 24,2012 while he covered Sheena's mouth, and Indrani’s ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna held Sheena tightly.

\"Indrani sat on top of Sheena and was strangling her. Sheena bit my finger. It was bleeding...\" reports quote a portion of the statement as saying.

According to reports, the statement, in Hindi, claimed that Khanna and Indrani were taking something in English, and mentioned Mikhail (Indrani's son), Rahul (Peter's son) and Worli.

The statement added that the pistol found in his possession during his arrest last year was handed over to him in a parcel on Indrani's instructions.

Rai had not made any allegations about Peter. His statement was circulated to all the accused, including Indrani's husband, ex-media baron Peter Mukerjea, by the special CBI court on Friday, reports said.

A special CBI court earlier made Shyamvar Rai an approver and pardoned him in the 2012 sensational murder case, after he filed an application for the same in May, and will now depose as prosecution witness.

Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and Rai had allegedly strangled Sheena (24), Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship, inside a car in April 2012.

Sheena's body was found in a forest in Raigad. The crime, which came to light in August last year, is allegedly linked to certain financial dealings.

The trio was arrested in August last year, while Peter Mukerjea was arrested in November. According to CBI, Peter was part of the murder conspiracy.

While Peter and Khanna are lodged in Arthur Road prison, Indrani (43) is in Byculla women's jail in Mumbai. (This story originally appeared in the deccan Chronicle as may the case be)