CBI gets court's nod to question Indrani Mukerjea in prison

Mumbai: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Monday allowed the premier investigating agency to interrogate Indrani Mukerjea inside Byculla prison for three hours in connection with the INX Media case, in which former finance minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karti are also accused.

R. Parthasarathy, the CBI’s deputy superintendent of police, requested special judge J.C. Jagdale to allow officials to meet Indrani, the wife of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, who is in judicial custody in connection with her biological daughter Sheena Bora’s murder case, for further investigation into the M/s INX Media (P) Ltd case.

The CBI informed the court that it had sent letters rogatory — formal requests from a court in one sovereign nation  to a court in another seeking judicial assistance in a case — to several foreign countries seeking assistance in the investigation of certain financial transactions. However, one foreign authority had sought some clarifications, and in order to address this query suitably, the agency wanted to interrogate Indrani.

After hearing these submissions, the judge allowed CBI officers to meet Indrani at Byculla Jail from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm. The court also asked the jail authorities to take the appropriate steps.

The CBI had filed an FIR against Karti, Indrani and Peter on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

It is alleged that Karti had received money from INX Media in return for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against the firm in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board conditions to receive investments from Mauritius.

Indrani, a former HR consultant and media executive, was arrested on August 25, 2015, for allegedly killing 25-year-old Bora, who was last seen in April 24, 2012. She has been lodged at Byulla Jail since September 2015.