Sheena Bora Case: Indrani seeks divorce from Peter

Mumbai: Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, informed the special CBI court on Tuesday that she wanted to end her 15-year-old marriage with Peter Mukerjea, and sought the court’s permission to file a divorce petition in a family court. Indrani also told the court that she wanted to make changes in her will and donate money to charity organisations, but the judge told her that she did not require the CBI court’s permission to do so.

On a day when the CBI court framed charges against all the three accused in the case, Indrani, after the lunch break, requested the court to allow her to say something. She then told the court that she wanted its permission to file a divorce petition in a family court, and also wanted to make changes in her will in order to donate assets to charity organisations. But special judge H.S. Mahajan said she did not require the court’s permission for these requests.

Indrani and Peter had married in 2002. Indrani’s lawyer Gunjan Mangala also confirmed that Indrani had made the oral request before the court. According to her, Indrani feels that she has been framed by Peter’s lawyer and that is why she could be taking the decision for the divorce.

It may be recalled that during arguments on Peter’s bail plea, his lawyer had put all the blame of the murder on Indrani, saying Peter was not aware that Sheena had been murdered. His lawyer had argued that he blindly believed Indrani, and had hence told his son Rahul that Sheena was fine and had gone to the US, even though by that time she was dead already.

Peter and Indrani had met for the first time at the Library bar of Hotel Taj President. That same year, Peter divorced his wife Shabnam Singh and married Indrani. Only close family members and friends had attended their marriage. Indrani’s surname had been Bora before the marriage, but she later adopted Peter’s surname, Mukerjea. Sheena and Mekhail Bora were Indrani’s children from her earlier relationship with one Siddarth Das.

After her break-up, Indrani’s parents adopted her children and gave them their name, and when Indrani called both of her children to Mumbai to help them with their studies, she introduced them to everybody as her siblings. Later, Sheena entered into a relationship with Peter’s son Rahul and Indrani’s relations with her daughter got soured, which, according to the prosecution, resulted in her murder.

Stormy affair

• Indrani has been told to move family court.
• They married in 2002; it was Peter’s second marriage and Indrani’s third
• They met for the first time at the Library bar of Hotel Taj President.