A City Magistrate’s court on Monday extended the judicial custody of the currently hospitalised Indrani Mukherjea and two other accused in the Sheena Bora murder case till October 19, even as the doctors attending on Indrani at the State-JJ Hospital described her as “conscious” and “normal”.
On a day when the jail authorities sent the warrant of the hospitalised Indrani to the Magistrate MR Natu at the Esplanade court, two other accused, Sanjeev Khanna (50) and Shyamvar Rai (43) - both lodged at the Arthur Road Jail - were produced before the same Magistrate via video-conferencing. The Magistrate remanded all the three accused in judicial custody till October 19.
The CBI, which took over the investigations in the Sheena Bora murder case on September 29, sought the extension in custody of the three accused on the ground that the case had been transferred to them recently and that they needed to subject Indrani and two other accused for fresh interrogation.
As the Magistrate extended the judicial custody of Indrani and two other accused till October 17, the CBI moved the same court seeking permission to interrogate Indrani, her second husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai.
In a related development, there was further improvement in the heath condition of 43-year-old Indrani, who was rushed from the Byculla women’s lock-up to the J J Hospital for suspected drug overdose.
Talking to “The Pioneer” here on Monday evening, Dean of JJ Hospital Dr TP lahane said: “She (Indrani) is very much conscious now. We are giving her oral feeds.”
Asked to describe her exact medical condition and when she would be discharged from the hospital, Dr lahane said: “Indrani Mukerjea is normal now. I will take a call her on discharge from the hospital after seeking the doctors attending on her”.
After two days of confusion over the suspected excessive intake of drugs by Indrani, Dr lahane had confirmed on Sunday evening that the forensic report received by the hospital indicated that the drug overdose had not contributed to her sudden illness.
Asked as to why the hospital authorities had initially suspected that the deterioration in Indrani’s heath condition was due to drug overdose, Dr lahane had said that the patient (Indrani) was responding well to the line of treatment meant for excessive intake of drugs. He added that the doctors could not say for sure for the Indrani’s illness was not due to drug overdose.
Indrani, wife of former Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea, was arrested on August 25 for her alleged role in the murder of Sheena Bora, her daughter from her first marriage with Siddharth Das. Arrested along with her was her driver Shyamvar Rai, who has confessed to his complicity in the crime. A day later, Indrani’s second husband Sanjeev Khanna who has also reportedly confessed to his role in the crime.
Indrani’s hospitalisation came four days after the CBI took over the investigations into the Sheena Bora murder case. After taking over the investigations in the case on Tuesday last, the CBI registered a case against Indrani and two other accused under eight Sections of the IPC.