'No Guarantee You'll Come Back' : Supreme Court Rejects Indrani Mukerjea's Plea To Travel Abroad, Expedites Sheena Bora Murder Case Trial
The Supreme Court today(February 12) refused the plea of Indrani Mukerjea, accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, to travel abroad while the trial is pending. The Court also directed the expedition of the trial and complete it within one year. Mukerjea has been accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora. She was granted bail in 2022 by the Supreme Court on grounds that she has been in...
The Supreme Court today(February 12) refused the plea of Indrani Mukerjea, accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, to travel abroad while the trial is pending. The Court also directed the expedition of the trial and complete it within one year.
Mukerjea has been accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora. She was granted bail in 2022 by the Supreme Court on grounds that she has been in custody for 6.5 years and the trial is likely to be concluded soon.
Today, before a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal, the counsel representing Mukherjea stated that the Court while granting the bail specified that she could travel abroad with permission of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court.
However, the Court at the outset was not inclined to allow the Special Leave Petition which was filed against the Bombay High Court's order dated September 27, 2024, refusing to let her travel abroad.
Justice Shyam Chandak of the High Court had passed the order in the plea filed by the CBI challenging the order of a special court, which permitted Indrani to travel abroad to pay property tax, update her bank accounts and also for updating her Will (removing name of her ex-husband Peter Mukherjea from the records).
Justice Sundresh said: "We will say the trial be concluded within 6 months. You can complete and then go."
As per the counsel, Mukherjea reportedly wants to travel to Spain for the purpose of executing a Will. But Justice Bindal added that she has a Power of Attorney holder there and there was no need for her to travel in person. However, the counsel clarified that biometrics are to be registered, which the PoA cannot do. She stated that the 92 witnesses are yet to be examined. She added that Mukherjea has not travelled abroad in the last 10 years.
Justice Sundresh responded: "There is no guarantee that you will come back."
To this, the counsel responded: "She had an occasion when she had valid passport with her. On two occasions in the period of custody, she did not misuse her liberty of bail. She could have absconded that time. But she did not. After her work, she surrendered...While granting bail to the petitioner, CBI submitted that 50% of the witnesses will be dropped. That time, 68 witnesses were examined. In the last 3 years, during the duration of bail period, only 19 more witnesses have been examined and the trial court is vacant since the last four and the half months. There is a possibility that the trial court will remain vacant for 1 year.."
However, the Court rejected her plea and ordered: "Considering the fact that the trial is ongoing, we are not inclined to consider the request at this stage. Expedite the trial within 1 year from today."
Case Details: INDRANI MUKERJEA Vs CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION., SLP(Crl) No. 17027/2024
