'There is no guarantee you will come back' SC rejects Indrani Mukerjea's plea: Sheena Bora Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant permission for Indrani Mukerjea, accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, to travel abroad while the trial is still pending. The Court also directed the trial court to expedite proceedings and conclude the case within one year.

A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal rejected Mukerjea’s plea, which challenged a Bombay High Court order barring her from leaving the country. Mukerjea had sought permission to visit Spain and the United Kingdom to execute financial and legal documents.

Background of the plea

Mukerjea’s request to travel abroad was initially approved by a special court on July 19, 2024, allowing her to visit Spain and the UK for 10 days over three months. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenged this decision in the Bombay High Court, which overturned the special court’s order on September 27, leading Mukerjea to approach the Supreme Court.

Her counsel argued that as a British citizen, she needed to make physical appearances to activate a digital certificate and complete administrative tasks that could not be done remotely. However, the Supreme Court remained unconvinced, stating that these matters could be handled through embassies.

Justice Sundresh remarked, "There is no guarantee that you will come back," while Justice Bindal pointed out that Mukerjea had a Power of Attorney holder in Spain who could manage the formalities on her behalf. The counsel countered that biometric registration required her personal presence and emphasized that she had not traveled abroad for the past 10 years.

Despite these arguments, the Court upheld the High Court’s decision and directed that the trial be completed within a year.

The Sheena Bora murder case

Indrani Mukerjea was arrested in August 2015 after the murder of her daughter, Sheena Bora, came to light. The prosecution alleges that Bora, 24, was strangled in a car in Mumbai in April 2012 by Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, and driver Shyamvar Rai. Her body was allegedly burned in a forest in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.

The case surfaced in 2015 when Rai, arrested in an unrelated case under the Arms Act, confessed to the murder. Mukerjea’s ex-husband, media tycoon Peter Mukerjea, was also arrested for allegedly being part of the conspiracy.

While all the accused have since been granted bail, including Indrani Mukerjea in May 2022, the Supreme Court’s latest decision prevents her from leaving India until the trial is concluded.