Indrani’s driver can’t recollect phone conversations with Rahul

Mumbai: The accused-turned-approver Shyamvar Rai on Monday told the court that there might have been telephonic conversations between Rahul Mukerjea and him before and after Sheena Bora’s murder. According to the defence, out of the two conversations, one was almost 13 minutes long. However, Rai said he could not recollect what the conversations were about.

Answering questions asked by prime accused Indrani Mukerjea’s defence lawyers, Sudeep Pasbola and Gunjan Mangala, the witness, Rai, stated before Judge J.C. Jagdale that he might have spoken to Rahul on phone but could not recollect the conversation. He also said that he could not even recollect if Rahul had enquired about the whereabouts of Sheena Bora.

During cross-examination by defence, Rai also said that when Indrani asked him to close Sheena’s mouth, he did not object to her instructions and obeyed her. However, as soon as he put his hand on her mouth she bit his thumb, prompting him to remove his hand and sit back on the driver’s seat. After this, he did not turn to see if Indrani or the other person who was holding Sheena’s hair closed her mouth or not. He also confirmed that when he tried to close Sheena’s mouth, Indrani was sitting on Sheena’s lap, trying to strangulate her. According to Rai, he didn’t take any medical treatment after Sheena bit his thumb. He also said that Sheena was not shouting before and after he tried to close her mouth. Also, for the first time, he spoke about the glass of the car in which Sheena was murdered. He said that it was tinted. He added that when they went to Taj Lands End in Bandra, Sheena’s body was lying between the front and the rear seat of the car.