Sheena Bora murder case: Court asks CBI to file reply on Peter Mukerjea's bail plea by January 16

Mumbai: A special CBI court here on Tuesday directed the central probe agency to file its reply on the bail application filed by former media baron Peter Mukerjea, arrested in the Sheena Bora murder case, by January 16.

Special Judge HS Mahajan adjourned the bail hearing till January 16 after CBI informed the court that they will file their reply by that date.

"We will file our reply by January 16," special public prosecutor Kavita Patil told the court.

In his bail application, filed yesterday through his lawyer Kushal Mor, Peter had said that CBI had found no evidence to justify his arrest, though it had his custody for 11 days and even subjected him to psycho-analysis and polygraph tests.

Peter also dismissed the charge that he misled his son Rahul (with whom Sheena was in a relationship) about her
whereabouts after her disappearance.

The bail application also said that Peter was in UK from April 23-26, 2012, with Vidhie (Indrani's daughter from marriage with former husband Sanjeev Khanna), the application says, adding that mere phone calls between him and Indrani in this period do not suggest conspiracy.

Sheena Bora (24), Indrani Mukerjea's daughter from an earlier relationship, was murdered allegedly by her, Sanjeev Khanna and her ex-driver Shyam Rai on April 24, 2012.

Peter, 59, husband of Indrani, was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the murder case and was in CBI custody for around two weeks before he was granted judicial remand.

He has been kept at the high-security Arthur Road Jail here, where other two accused in the case -- Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai -- are also lodged.

CBI, while maintaining that financial transaction was the motive behind the murder of Sheena, had earlier said that Peter, during his interrogation, disclosed investments of crores of rupees made by him and Indrani. CBI is expecting information from Interpol on the details of an account opened
by Indrani in a bank in Hong Kong.