SHEENA BORA MURDER CASE: CRIME BRANCH records Indrani, Peter and Sanjeev’s statement
The Byculla jail authorities have recorded the statement of Indrani Mukerjea on Thursday. The statements of Peter Mukerjea and Sanjeev Khanna, co-accused in the murder of Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora, have also been recorded on Thursday. Indrani, an undertrial at the Byculla jail has been booked on the charges of murder of her daughter Sheena.
According to Rajvardhan Sinha, Inspector General of Police (Prisons), “We have recorded the statements of the accused Peter Mukerjea and Sanjeev Khanna who were escorted to the CBI court on Friday along with Indrani. Peter has said in his statement that the police vehicle in which they were escorted did not stop anywhere in between during the court visit.”
During the visits to the CBI court, Peter, Indrani and Sanjeev are ferried in the same police vehicle along with their escorts. Peter and Sanjeev have been lodged at the Arthur road jail. Indrani has denied to the jail authorities on writing any letter to a woman police constable from Nagpada police station regarding any threat to her life after testifying against Karti Chidabaram in INX media case. “Indrani has denied writing any letter to the Nagpada police or recording any statement at JJ hospital,” said Sinha.
However, the Nagpada police have stated that they have received letter from Indrani on April 9 stating that her life was in danger and she should be shifted to a safe place or granted bail.
The jail authorities have also submitted an application before the court regarding permission for video-conferencing for future court trials for Indrani. “Since the drug overdose incident has occurred for the second time in Indrani’s case, as a matter of precaution, we have written to the court seeking permission for her trials to be conducted via video-conferencing in future,” said Sinha. Indrani was not taken for a court visit on Thursday by the jail staff. As part of the inquiry, the jail authorities have written to experts seeking advise reading the high drug overdose which were found in Indrani’s urine samples. The report was submitted by the Hinduja hospital. Daily three medicines were given to Indrani under the supervision of the jail staff and the jail doctor. A diary entry regarding the date, time and quantity was maintained for it daily. “We have written to the medical experts to ascertain regarding the high level of benzodiazepine found in her urine,” he added.
Indrani has alleged in her statement to the jail authorities that she was completely surrounded by the media persons on Thursday after her discharge from JJ hospital.
The jail authorities have also submitted an application before the court regarding permission for video-conferencing for future court trials for Indrani
“Indrani said that she could barely hear or understand anything and did not know what to respond to the media,” added the official.
Indrani also denied to the jail authorities regarding taking any unprescribed medication. In her statement to the jail authorities, she alleged that she did not know what had happened to her and how she landed up at JJ hospital. The jail authorities are awaiting a response from the JJ hospital regarding certain queries on the diagnosis of Indrani.
“We have recorded the statements of six escorts on Thursday who had accompanied Indrani for her court visit on Friday. Total twenty-eight statements have been recorded so far including Peter and Sanjeev’s statement,” added Sinha. The statements of four escorts were recorded on Wednesday.
In a CCTV footage scrutinised by the jail authorities, Indrani was seen outside the courtroom along with her lawyers. They chatted for half and hour regarding her case.
Sinha denied that Indrani had attempted to commit suicide, “The media report is false. The jail authorities were not contacted for any official verification,” he said.