Did Indrani Mukerjea take British citizenship to flee India?

Mumbai: Afraid of getting nailed in the case, Indrani Mukerjea, accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, had acquired United Kingdom nationality sometime around 2012-13, a report said on Friday.

According to a report published in 'DNA', it is being speculated that Indrani, wife of former STAR India CEO Peter Mukerjea, surrendered her Indian passport and acquired British citizenship, hoping to flee the country in case of any trouble.

If the former media tycoon had settled in UK, then the Indian investigators would have required to seek her extradition, which would have been a tiring process.

Some legal experts are of the view that Indrani acquired British nationality to evade arrest if she sensed any trouble in the murder case.

However, with no police action for almost three years, a relieved Indrani was comfortably living in India, sources told 'DNA'.

Speaking to the newspaper, Majeed Memon, senior criminal lawyer said, “Since she has already been caught and lodged in jail, her citizenship is of no relevance. “In the current scenario it does not affect in any way, as any person, belonging to any country, can be charged under the law of the land for the crime committed. Moreover, in this case, the crime has taken place in Indian jurisdiction. Even if the offender is a foreign national by birth, police have every right to take legal action against the person.”

Indrani and her driver Shyamvar Rai were remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a Bandra court on Monday after her police custody in connection with Sheena murder case ended.

Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and Rai have been arrested in the case pertaining to the murder of her daughter Sheena and the disposal of the body in a Raigad forest in April 2012.