Mumbai: Vidhie Mukerjea, Indrani Mukerjea's youngest daughter, says she was asked to go against her mother, and denies having given any statements before either Khar police station or CBI during the probe of her sister Sheena Bora's murder case. Vidhie said she now regrets writing book by the name 'Devil's daughter' which is against her mother.
Regrets Writing ‘Devil’s Daughter’
Vidhie had in August 2021, published a book namely 'Devil's daughter' narrating her journey and other aspects of her life connected to her family after her mother's arrest in August 2015. Years later, she now regrets having done so.
After over ten years Indrani Mukerjea's arrest in connection with murder of her eldest daughter Sheena, her youngest daughter Vidhie appeared before the special court to testify. Indrani was arrested in August 2015, just around Vidhie's 18th birthday. She was granted bail after six years of incarceration in 2022 by the Supreme court.
Vidhie on Tuesday told the court that after the arrest of her parents, she was 'bombarded' with lies against her mother by Rahul Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea's son.
She claimed that "during those traumatic and disastrous time, under the influence of false accusations, I had written the book Devil's daughter." On Tuesday she told the court that "if I could go back in time, I would never had written this book. I donot stand by the book."
Vidhie has been a star witness who according to the prosecution is a key link for the relationship between Sheena, Rahul and Indrani. In her statement Vidhie had said that Indrani was against the relationship between Rahul and Sheena and also had warned them about in an email written to Sheena.
Vidhie on Tuesday even denied having given any statements to either Khar police station or CBI and said her formal statement was never taken down. In fact she said she was made to sign on blank pages by the police. Besides, she claimed that the ink of her sign and date mentioned below her signature is different Indicating manipulation.
She told the court that at that time she was all confused and when she was taken to police station either Peter, his son Rabin and his sister accompanied her. She claimed that they were questioned togather by police and her replies were prompted by them.
Disputes With Prosecution Claims
Vidhie in her testimony has slided apart from the prosecution case and her own statements at several point. Vidhie denied that Indrani introduced Sheena as her sister but said that Sheena herself had introduced her as Indrani's daughter and the relationship between the two was very good. She claimed that until Rahul Mukerjea joined them at their house in Marlow building in Worli, they were happy family.
Further Vidhie claimed that she was never stopped by Indrani to connect to Sheena as against the claimed that after the truth about Sheena being Indrani's daughter came out, Indrani had put restrictions on her but they allegedly continued to connect secretly.
Vidhie went on to say that there were no dispute over relationship between Rahul and Sheena, as against the prosecution's claim that Indrani was against the relationship which was the key motive to allegedly eliminate Sheena. Vidhie in one of her mails sent to Sheena had also warned her about Indrani plotting something against them.
However, on Tuesday, she claimed that "disputes started rising as family came to know that, Rahul was consuming hard drugs and Sheena had also started consuming and thereafter the situation was worsened."
Questions Over Emails And Digital Evidence
Vidhie had also refused to acknowledge the contents of those mails exchanged between Sheena and her and various ther emails which the police had retrived and attached the copy with the chargesheet. Vidhie said that her laptop and mobile was taken away by police and she had handed it over on the instructions of Rabin Mukerjea, Peter's son and Rahul's brother.
Vidhie said she never shared her email id or password with police, which could enable police to access her email accounts. When the CBI prosecutor confronted her with the contents of the mails, Vidhie said, they appear to be mails exchanged between her and Sheena but she now doesn't remember the contents.
"these pages bears my email ID. I donot remember whether I had recieved or read these emails as all these emails are from 2011," Vidhie said. However, she claimed that the last mail that she had recieved from Sheena was in 2013. Whereas as per the prosecution case, Sheena was strangulated in a car in April 2012.
The prosecution however has also claimed that Indrani had access to Sheena's emails and she had after Sheena's disappearance sent mails to people from her Id. Besides, prosecution has also alleged that Indrani had told everyone that Sheena had shifted to US.
Vidhie had denied this also and said that she has no knowledge about where Sheena is and she has never been told by Indrani that she has shifted to US.
Allegations against Rahul and Rabin
Vidhie claimed that soon after her mother Indrani's arrest, Rabin and Rahul siphoned off all Indrani's ancestral jewelry into new locker which was in their name. Besides, she alleged that they had also siphoned off funds held by Indrani in joint accounts with Peter in various banks in India and abroad and transferred to Rabin's account. Indrani's lawyer Ranjeet Sangle had indicated that funds to the tune of more than Rs 7 crores were siphoned off.
Vidhie agreed to Sangle's suggesions that this was done so that Indrani was left with no money to defend herself after her arrest. Vidhie further accepted the suggesions that at that time financial condition of both the brothers were sound and they were desperate for funds.
It was contended that if Indrani ever came out they had to return her the money. Hence, Sangle had suggested that the brothers had clear motive to falsely implicated Indrani in the case and ensure that she would not come out. To this Vidhie agreed.
Vidhie claimed that after Indrani's arrest she was made to choose side and Rabin had threatened her that if she refuses to be on their side, she would be left to survive on her own. However, she managed with Peter's support, but after his arrest things worsened.
Family Turned Against Her Mother
Vidhie said that soon after Indrani's arrest the reaction of the close family members changed. She said that "right after my mother got arrested, my family members uncles, cousins, their spouses, everyone started.coming to Mumbai. It was essentially a full house. Everyone came with a motive."
"Noone went to meet my mother. I felt safe with my father Peter Mukherjea because that was the closest person I had at that time. But since most of the time he was engaged in police station visits. I was asked to pick up sides," Vidhie testified.
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Vidhie said that the family members started fighting on which furniture will go to whose house, materialistic things like perfumes and bags of my mother were shared amongst themselves. House was packed up.
She further claimed that she was soon sent to London for education, but when she returned the house was empty, she didn't even have her bed and had to sleep on the floor.
