Sheena Bora case: Bombay HC rejects Peter’s bail application

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday, without citing any reason, rejected the bail application of former media baron Peter Mukerjea in the April 2012 Sheena Bora murder case.

A single bench of the high court headed by Justice N.W. Sambre, while rejecting the bail application, said it would give its order citing the reasons on Thursday.

Since November 19 last year, when the CBI arrested him in the case for his alleged involvement, Peter’s bail pleas were rejected twice by the special court, after which he moved the high court. On Tuesday, Peter’s lawyer told the HC that the CBI had filed two chargesheets against him but they had nothing incriminating against him to allege that he had any role to play in the crime. The CBI has, since November 2015, submitted three chargesheets in the case, in two of which the agency gave alleged details on Peter’s role.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh, appearing for the CBI, argued that Peter was also part of the conspiracy to murder Sheena, and that he too was against Sheena’s relationship with Rahul.

He further argued that for over three years, a family member (Sheena) was missing and nobody in the family except Rahul was worried about it and making any effort to look for her.

“Both Indrani and Peter were against the relationship and wanted them to separate. Moreover, Peter and Indrani were involved in several businesses together and Peter would not want to do anything to displease Indrani,” Singh said.

On Tuesday, Peter’s lawyer Abad Phonad had argued that “the prosecution is alleging that Peter took part in the conspiracy to kill his wife Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora and son Mikhail Bora because Peter was against his son Rahul’s relationship with Sheena.”