Sheena Bora murder: Indrani's ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna in police custody
Mumbai: Sanjeev Khanna, former husband of prime accused Indrani Mukerjea, was on Friday remanded in police custody after being charged with murder in the sensational Sheena Bora case and taken to an undisclosed location for joint interrogation with her and her driver.
Brought here from Kolkota last night, Khanna was produced in Bandra court and remanded to police custody till August 31 after being charged under Sections 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC.
In what could be crucial in taking the probe forward, police collected a few pieces of bones from J J Hospital, where it was sent in May 2012, a month after Sheena's body was burnt and dumped there.
"The hospital sent its report in 2013 saying it can not determine the age, sex or cause of death on the basis of the bones sent by the Pen police," Hospital Dean Dr T P Lahane told PTI.
"Today, Khar police came to the hospital and collected the bones from us", Lahane said declining to make any comment when asked whether the samples could be vital forensic evidence in the case.
Sheena's brother Mikhail, who had stated that the victim was Indrani's daugher and not her sister, also landed here from Guwahati and promised to cooperate fully with the police in the ongoing probe.
"I will extend full cooperation to Mumbai police. I will get justice for her," Mikhail said.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria had said last night that presence of the "third accused " (Khanna) would be crucial in unravelling the mystery. Khanna, in an off-white shirt and khaki trousers, was produced in the court amid tight security with his face covered with a white cloth.
The police alleged in the court that Khanna had played an active role in the conspiracy and murder of 24-year-old Sheena and he had to be taken to the spot where she was killed on April 24, 2012.
After producing Khanna, police contended in the court that Indrani, wife of former STAR CEO Peter Mukerjea, her driver Shyam Rai and Khanna abducted Sheena in a car and took her to a forest in Pen town of Maharashtra's Raigad district where they killed her allegedly by strangulation. The trio had then poured petrol on her body and burnt it in the forest, they said.
Police said they want to recover the object with which Sheena was killed and also the car in which she was abducted and taken to the forest in Pen. They said they have taken possession of Khanna's passport, laptop and mobile phone and sought his custody on the ground that a detailed probe is required to be done in the case.
A local court allowed the application filed by lawyer of Indrani seeking permission to meet her. Indrani's lawyer had moved the court yesterday saying that police were not allowing her lawyers to meet her.
While allowing the application, the court directed the police to follow the guidelines framed by the apex court on the rights of the accused. Indrani was arrested by Khar police on August 25 over her alleged role in Sheena's murder three years back. She was later produced before the Bandra court, which remanded her in police custody till August 31.
Khanna was arrested the next day in Kolkata in connection with the murder case. Indrani's driver, who was picked by the police in connection with the murder, was arrested on August 25. During interrogation, the driver claimed that Indrani had killed Bora and that he had helped her in disposing of the body by dumping it in the forests of Raigad district, Khar police had earlier said.
