Sheena Bora case: Indrani Mukerjea critical after suicide attempt; CM orders probe
Mumbai: Indrani Mukerjea, the alleged prime accused in the conspiracy and murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, was admitted to JJ Hospital on Friday after she fell unconscious in the morning and remained unconscious till afternoon.
Doctors suspect that she may have attempted suicide. The hospital authorities have decided to admit her and her condition is said to be “serious”. Hospital authorities treating Indrani said that she had consumed anti-depressants following which she lost consciousness.
The doctors suspect an overdose of the medicines given to her. Dean of JJ hospital T.P. Lahane told this newspaper, “She was on some medication. The possibility of her storing the medicines and taking them in one go cannot be ruled out. We suspect this, but we cant say this for sure at this stage. We will take samples from her body and send them to our Forensic Lab. Only then can we say whether it’s a case of overdose.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, ordered an inquiry into the incident late tonight.
A discreet inquiry has been initiated by senior prison officials to find out if there was any kind of security lapse or dereliction or negligence on the part of prison officials guarding Indrani’s prison cell, which led to her medical condition. Prison officials are now checking whether she had been storing her prescribed medicines secretly for days without consuming them.
According to Dr Lahane, Indrani was on epilepsy medication. "We suspect that she got her epilepsy medicine and probably consumed all of it," he added. Jail authorities said she has been on anti-epileptic pills since September 11 after she started suffering bouts of seizure. Prison officials, who were tasked to monitor her medication, have been asked to explain how Indrani got hold of tablets more than her dosage.
Anti-epileptic drugs are given to control seizures and an overdose can put person in comatose state, a senior doctor said.
"Whatever toxic has been there, if it has gone out of the body, then I think, it should be clear to us within the next 24 hours to check the response. It will be take at least 24 hours," Dr Lahane said.
The inquiry, to be covered by DIG (prisons) will cover all angles, including how Indrani managed to get hold of the tablets, a senior official in CMO said.
It is learnt that she had suffered a shock when the news of her mother passing away was broken to her. “She fell unconscious in the morning. The doctor soon checked on her. When her condition did not improve, we decided to admit her to JJ Hospital,” said inspector general of prisons, Bipin Kumar Singh.
According to prison sources, Indrani was on medication after she went into depression because of a sudden change in her lifestyle. A jail official explained that she was not able to adjust to the lifestyle inside the prison. A lady psychiatrist from JJ Hospital was brought to Byculla prison last month, who checked her condition and gave her medicines.
The highly-placed jail source said these medicines included anti-depressants and pills to put her to sleep as she couldn’t sleep at night. A source also said that she was given medication for epilepsy, but police sources in prison have denied this. However, her medicines for sleeplessness and depression were stopped on September 26, when she had managed to cope with the life inside prison.
Indrani was arrested on August 25 and was in police custody till September 7 when she was remanded to judicial custody after which she was lodged in the Byculla women’s jail. As she holds British nationality, members from British Council had offered her legal aid.
She, along with her first husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shamvar Rai, allegedly murdered her daughter Sheena, burnt her body and dumped it in forested area of Pen, Raigad. The case has been transferred from Khar police to CBI to check if any alleged financial embezzlement done by Indrani involved Sheena, which ultimately led to the latter’s murder.
