NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Indrani Mukerjea, who is one of the accused in the Sheena Bora murder case. The Supreme Court also took into account the fact that Indrani has remained in jail for over 6.5 years and that the Sheena Bora murder case was based on ''circumstantial evidence.''


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The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai and AS Bopanna in response to a special leave petition filed against an order passed by the Bombay High Court in November 2021 rejecting her bail plea. 


 



 


The SC bench noted that the case is based on ''circumstantial evidence'' and that even if 50% of the witnesses are given by the prosecution, the trial is not likely to be over soon.


"The allegation made against the petitioner is that she planned the murder in view of the live-in relationship of her daughter with Rahul Mukerjea, who was the son of Peter Mukerjea and his earlier wife," the bench said.


"We are not making comments on the merits of the case. Even if 50 per cent of witnesses are given by the prosecution, the trial would not be over soon. She will be released on bail subject to satisfaction of the trial court. The same conditions imposed on Peter Mukerjea will also be imposed on her," the bench also comprising Justices B R Gavai and A S Bopanna said.


She had been denied bail on multiple occasions by a special CBI court, which is conducting the trial in the murder case.


The 2012 high-profile murder case of Sheena Bora took a fresh turn when it emerged on December 16 that Indrani Mukerjea, in a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director, claimed that her daughter Sheena was alive and living in Kashmir.


Bora (24) was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Indrani Mukerjea, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012. The body was burnt in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district.


Bora was Indrani's daughter from her previous relationship.


Former media baron Peter Mukerjea was also arrested for allegedly being part of the conspiracy. He was granted bail by the high court in February 2020. His marriage to Indrani Mukerjea ended during the period of incarceration.