Sheena Bora Murder Case: Bombay HC Extends Interim Stay On Indrani Mukherjea’s Foreign Travel; CBI Raises Fears Of Fleeing

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday extended by two weeks an ad-interim stay the special court’s order which allowed former media executive Indrani Mukherjea to travel to the UK and Spain. Mukerjea is facing trial for the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora in 2012 and is a key accused in the case.

The HC last week stayed the special court order till Monday while hearing a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On Monday, Justice Shyam Chandak adjourned CBI’s plea for two weeks and meanwhile extended the interim stay until then.

Seeking quashing of the order allowing her to travel to Spain and the UK, the CBI had filed a petition in the HC on July 19 contending that the same is “bad in law and arbitrary”. The agency expressed apprehension that Mukerjea might flee from justice.

The CBI pointed out that Mukerjea is a UK national and might not return to India. It takes a lot of effort and formalities to extradite a person from the UK, if she does not return, the agency emphasised.

Mukerjea had claimed that she had to make changes in her will with regards to property in Spain and attend to a deactivated bank account, for which her physical presence is required.

Opposing the claim, the CBI has said that no government authority of Spain has asked her to remain personally present to complete all the formalities. There is nothing that cannot be done through video conferencing, the CBI said.

The special court had laid down certain conditions on Mukerjea while granting her permission to travel abroad. During her travel, she has to attend the office of the Indian Embassy or its allied diplomatic mission offices there at least once and obtain an attendance certificate. The court has also directed her to furnish a security deposit of Rs 2 lakh.