Defence says Shyamvar Rai lying to save cop

Mumbai: On the basis of call data records of more than 21 phone calls between accused-turned-approver Shyamvar Rai and Sameer Buddha, brother of former Mumbai police officer Suhel Buddha, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, Indrani Mukerjea’s lawyer on Wednesday suggested before Rai that he was deliberately saying he could not recall the conversation between them to save Sameer. The exchange of phone calls occurred in April 2012 before Sheena’s murder. Rai denied the lawyer’s suggestion.

Indrani’s lawyer, Sudeep Pasbola started by mentioning a cell phone number and asking Rai whether he knew whose number it was. When Rai said he did not know whose number it was, advocate Pasbola asked him, “You don’t know or you don’t want to reveal (the name of the owner of that number)?” Once again, Rai denied knowing whose number it was to which, advocate Pasbola told him that there were more than 21 phone calls between him and the said number between April 17, 2012 and April 24, 2012.

Indrani Mukerjea

Of the over 21 calls, eight calls had been made from Rai’s number and there were long conversations between the two numbers on various occasions. Following Rai’s insistence that he did not remember whose number it was and what conversation had taken place between them, advocate Pasbola said, “This number belonged to Sameer Buddha and I put it to you that to save him, you are telling lies.” Rai said he really did not remember.

During further cross-examination, Rai denied that he had received Rs 5 lakh in 2012 and had bought a plot of land with that money. He also said that he did not recollect if around the same time, he was in touch with real estate brokers, builders and advocates and whether he had long conversations with them.