Former media baron Peter Mukerjea was remanded to judicial custody by the Esplanade court, as the CBI did not seek his police custody.
Former media baron Peter Mukerjea was remanded to judicial custody by the Esplanade court, as the CBI did not seek his police custody. The investigative agency had arrested Mr Mukerjea on November 19 in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.
An official from Arthur Road prison, where Mr Mukerjea has been sent to, said that he has been kept in a high-security cell.
Sources added that a lot of investigation needed to be carried out before filing the chargesheet. They also said that the CBI has been able to establish a financial link between Peter and Sheena but officially they are tight lipped about the same.
The report of Mr Mukerjea’s polygraph test is awaited and the CBI has no fresh grounds to seek his remand.
Incidentally, Peter’s lawyer Kushal Mor argued that the CBI should extend Mr Mukerjea’s custody as they had almost exhausted the 14-day custody period and they should use the remaining days as well if they require it for their investigation.
A day earlier, Peter had told the CBI in court, “Hold me in as long as you want, I am not guilty of anything.”
Peter was arrested soon after the CBI filed a chargesheet against his wife Indrani Mukerjea, Sanjeev Khanna and Shamvar Rai.
The agency had cited that even though Peter was not actively involved in executing the kidnapping, murder and destruction of evidence of Sheena Bora, he was constantly in touch with his wife over the phone before, during and after the crime took place.
The CBI arrested Peter based on the conversations he had with his son Rahul, leading him to believe that he spoke to Sheena (after her death) and that she is fine in the US. Rahul recorded this conversation and gave it to the CBI.
Further, during his communication with Rahul via e-mails, Peter was trying to dissuade him from trying to find Sheena after her sudden disappearance. The CBI had taken Peter’s custody citing a financial trail. They had suspected that the couple might have used Sheena to keep some of their money under the radar.
