Mumbai: The two-member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Saturday grilled Indrani Mukerjea, one of the prime accused in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case, for nearly six hours at a jail here.
The development comes shortly after, Bipin Singh, Inspector General of Police (Prisons), confirmed that Indrani, accused of murdering her daughter Sheena, had collapsed in Mumbai's Byculla women's jail on October 2 due to weakness.
"There was no overdose, nor any poison. Her condition could have worsened as she had briefly stopped taking medicines and was suffering from weakness," said the IG, adding that Indrani had a history of fainting.
"I have come to the conclusion that there is no evidence of foul play, sabotage or conspiracy. Also, there is no evidence of attempt to commit suicide," he said at a press meet at Byculla jail here, adding that Indrani was told about her mother's death last month (at Guwahati) only yesterday, in front of her lawyer, after giving her due counselling.
Referring to media reports, Maharashtra Principal Secretary (home) Vijay Satbir Singh said the amount of cocaine found in Indrani's urine samples was very small.
The amount of cocaine was negligible and as she was on anti-depression and anti-anxiety drugs, it could be the reason for finding cocaine in urine, he said. In medical terms, such traces are called `inderminants' and not taken into consideration, he said.
Bhushan Kumar Upadhaye, ADG, Prisons, said pesticides in fruits and vegetables consumed by a person could also cause cocaine to show up in such tests.
"The level of cocaine in her urine was 35 nano grams per millilitres of blood while the normal level is upto 300 nano grams," Satbir Singh said and added that Indrani had no problems during her judicial custody and her lawyers were also also permitted to meet her six times.
Also Read: 'Indrani Mukerjea fell unconscious due to weakness, has a history of fainting'
Earlier in the day, as per a report published on Times of India, the nine page discharge summary said that traces of cocaine, opiates and amphetamines were found in the urine sample of Indrani which was examined by a leading private hospital when she was admitted to the government-run JJ hospital last week.
The report further said that discharge summary also mentions specific details of the tests conducted by the private hospital. It states that traces of amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methadone, opiates, phencyclidine and THC (tetra hydro cannabin) were found in the toxin screening test.
The discharge summary further records that she was under medication; she was taking benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety drug. However, after being discharged, Indrani had told Singh that she was not on medication since September 26 and had never made an attempt to commit suicide in jail.
48-year-old Mukerjea, arrested in August, had fainted in jail on October 2 and was then admitted to JJ Hospital in an unconscious state. She was treated and sent back to prison earlier this week.
Media Baron Peter Mukerjea's wife Indrani is currently under judicial custody along with two others - her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyamvar Rai - till October 19.
She had suddenly taken ill in the jail last Friday after which she was hospitalized and later doctors said she had lapsed into "deep sleep" or stupor, with her condition described as critical.
Indrani staged a recovery and was discharged last Tuesday and sent back to jail.
The discovery has raised questions about the security and related aspects at the Byculla Jail.
Meanwhile, British Consulate officials are likely to meet Indrani in jail early next week.
(With Agency inputs)
