'6.5 years a long time': SC grants bail to Indrani Mukerjea in daughter Sheena Bora murder case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in the murder of her daughter, Sheena Bora, stating that she has been jailed for long with trials still a long way from concluding anytime soon.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao and comprising Justices B R Gavai and A S Bopanna, pronounced the order. Indrani was jailed in 2015 after it was established that Bora, who went missing on April 24, 2012, had been murdered and CBI said DNA samples of the burnt corpse recovered from a forested patch in Maharashtra, indicated it belonged to the 25-year-old daughter of Indrani from her first husband Siddharth Das.

"We are granting bail to Indrani Mukerjea, six-and-half years is too a long time," the bench of the Supreme Court said, in its order and granted relief to her. The Court did not say anything about the merits of the case but said that the trial is unlikely to end soon. "We are not making comments on merits of case. Even if the 50 per cent witnesses are given up by prosecution, the trial would not be over soon. She is granted bail," the Supreme Court said, in its order.

The apex court also made it clear that she will be released on bail, subject to the satisfaction of trial court. The same conditions imposed on Peter Mukerjea will also be imposed on her. Indrani was arrested in 2015 along with her then husband Peter Mukerjea and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna for Bora's murder.

In November 2015, the first charge sheet was filed and the former INX Media lead couple was arrested. Peter and Indrani were granted divorce in 2019 and the husband secured bail in 2020. Indrani Mukerjea had approached the top court, through her senior lawyer and former Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi, challenging the order of the Bombay High Court where her bail plea was dismissed.

The top court on Wednesday, heard the submissions made by Rohatgi. He submitted that she is in custody for the past six and a half years and the co-accused, Peter Mukerjea has been out on bail since February 6, 2020. "The trial will take time as 237 witnesses are still left to be examined, including Rahul Mukerjea. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju appearing for the State, opposed the plea stating that there is an apprehension that she might influence the witnesses if she is granted bail.

It was also submitted by the ASG that the prosecution is giving up 50 per cent of the witnesses. Indrani Mukerjea has been charged with criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the murder of her daughter with the help of her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, and then husband Peter Mukerjea and driver Shyamvar Rai. (UNI)