SC refuses to entertain Indrani Mukerjea’s plea to travel abroad
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a fresh plea filed by Indrani Mukerjea, accused of killing her daughter Sheena Bora, seeking to travel abroad.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh told senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Mukerjea, that the apex court has already asked her to move the trial court, where proceedings against her are pending, for any relief.
Jethmalani said that last year, the top court had not decided her plea to travel abroad on merit, but there is some urgency now.
The bench said that last year’s order was intended only to enable the petitioner to file an application before the trial court, and not before the apex court.
It ordered, “In view of the above, we grant liberty to the petitioner to file an application before the trial court, which, if filed, shall be decided in accordance with our order. Considering the urgency, the application may be disposed of within four weeks.”
On February 12, last year, the top court dismissed a plea by Mukerjea, a former media executive, to travel abroad, observing that there was no guarantee that she would come back.
It directed the trial court to conduct the proceedings in the case within a year and upheld a Bombay High Court order refusing her plea. Noting that the trial against her was at an advanced stage, the top court had directed the lower court to expedite the hearing and conclude it within a year.
The apex court had given liberty to Mukerjea to approach the trial court for any relief concerning overseas travel.
The travel restriction came before the Supreme Court last year after a special court on July 19, 2024, allowed Mukerjea’s plea to visit Spain and the United Kingdom for 10 days.
The Bombay High Court, however, intervened in the matter and set aside the order on September 27, 2024, after the CBI filed an appeal.
Mukerjea had then moved the apex court challenging the high court order.
This year, she has filed a fresh plea seeking permission to travel abroad.
Mukerjea was arrested in August 2015 after the murder of Bora came to light. The Supreme Court granted her bail in May 2022 after she spent more than six years in custody.
Mukerjea has denied the allegations.
Bora, 24, was strangled to death in a car in Mumbai in April 2012, allegedly by Mukerjea, her then-driver Shyamvar Rai and former husband Sanjeev Khanna. Her mortal remains were then burnt in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district, according to the prosecution.
Bora was Mukerjea’s daughter from her previous relationship.
The killing came to light when Rai reportedly spilt the beans during his interrogation by police after his arrest in a separate case under the Arms Act.
Mukerjea’s ex-husband, Peter Mukerjea, was also arrested for allegedly being a part of the conspiracy linked to the murder, probed by the CBI.
All the accused are currently on bail.
