Guwahati: In a dramatic twist to the decade-old Sheena Bora murder trial, Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter Vidhie Mukerjea on Tuesday stunned the courtroom by denying ever recording a statement with probe agencies and alleging that the so-called statement annexed to the CBI chargesheet was “forged and fabricated with malicious intent,” reports PTI.
Deposing before Special CBI Judge J P Darekar, Vidhie daughter of Indrani and co-accused Sanjeev Khanna declared that she had only answered investigators’ questions but was later made to sign blank papers and email copies at the CBI office. When shown the statement cited in the chargesheet, she flatly rejected it as “never recorded by me or under my instruction,” adding that “somebody forged and fabricated it to falsely implicate my biological parents.”
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The witness went further, alleging a conspiracy within the Mukerjea family, claiming that Rahul and Rabin Mukerjea, sons of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, not only had the motive to frame Indrani but also looted her ancestral jewellery worth crores and siphoned off more than Rs7 crore in cash. She told the court that a new locker was opened in Rahul and Rabin’s names to store the stolen valuables, and accused them of intimidating her into siding with the Mukerjea “clan” against her mother.
Vidhie described a toxic family atmosphere following Indrani’s arrest in 2015, alleging relatives even squabbled over perfumes and handbags. She painted Rahul as unemployed and Rabin as financially unstable, arguing that they “desperately needed money” and would have been forced to return the looted wealth if Indrani walked free thereby giving them a clear motive to implicate her mother.
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In her deposition, Vidhie also recounted her relationship with Sheena Bora, noting that Bora had initially introduced herself as Indrani’s “sister” and was close to her mother until tensions arose after Peter’s son Rahul began visiting their Worli flat.
She claimed disputes worsened when Rahul was found to be using drugs, with Bora allegedly drawn into the same habit.
The prosecution maintains that Bora, 24, was strangled to death in April 2012 by Indrani, her driver-turned-approver Shyamvar Rai, and Sanjeev Khanna. The body was allegedly burnt and dumped in Raigad district, with the crime surfacing only in 2015 after Rai’s confession.
With Vidhie’s testimony now directly challenging the integrity of the chargesheet and alleging financial motives behind the family feud, the case has taken yet another unpredictable turn. The court will continue recording her deposition on Wednesday.
This explosive testimony could have far-reaching implications for one of India’s most sensational murder trials.