Peter Mukerjea alleges ‘media trial’

SHEENA BORA MURDER CASE

PETER MUKERJEA, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, filed an application before the special CBI court Friday, seeking directions to CBI to take steps to prevent potential evidence and other documents from being used in the media. The application was submitted after Times Now channel aired audio tapes, which were part of the chargesheet submitted by the CBI in the court.

Special Judge H S Mahajan toldcbithatifitfelttherewasany intentional illegality with respect to the documents, necessary action could be taken without taking instructions from the court.

Mukerjea’s counsel Mihir Gheewala said the tapes had names of potential prosecution anddefencewitnesseswhocould be influenced. “The airing of vital evidence and the manner in which it was done, with names of potential witnesses, it is possible that they will be affected by the judge, jury and judgment delivered (by the media),” he said.

Theapplicationsaidpaneldiscussions which held Peter a participant to the murder, deserving conviction, amounted to a “media trial” and caused him prejudice. He sought an order to CBI so thatitsprobedocumentsareused in the media only after appropriate permission from the special court. The court refused to grant such an order and instead directed “both the prosecution and the defence to assist the court in maintaining the law of the land”.

Last month, transcripts of voicerecordingsbetweenindrani Mukerjea, husband Peter and his son Rahul, where they are heard discussing Sheena’s disappearance, were provided to the defence after an application by Indrani.cbisaidtheygavethetapesto defence after obtaining permission from the court and did not give anyone else access to them.

Meanwhile, the court said it was not desirable to prolong the hearing, a year after the arrests. CBI counsel Bharat Badami said the agency was still probing all angles and “cannot say how much time will be required...”

The court has fixed the next date of hearing on September 13.

Peter Mukerjea