New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has granted an additional nine months for the completion of the trial in the high-profile Sheena Bora murder case, while making it clear that no further extensions will be allowed.

A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order on 16 March after receiving a request from the Special Judge of the CBI court in Mumbai seeking more time to conclude proceedings.

“Considering the prayer made, the time to conclude the trial stands extended by nine months while making it clear that no further prayer seeking extension of time will be entertained,” the bench observed.

The court also granted liberty to Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused and mother of the victim, to file a fresh application seeking permission to travel abroad. Her former husband, Peter Mukerjea, remains a co-accused.

Sheena Bora, aged 24, was allegedly strangled in a car in April 2012 by Indrani Mukerjea, her driver Shyamvar Rai — who later turned approver — and another accused, Sanjeev Khanna. Police allege that her body was subsequently burnt and disposed of in a forested area in Raigad district.

The case came to light in 2015 after Rai disclosed details of the murder following his arrest in an unrelated case. Indrani Mukerjea and Khanna were arrested in August that year, while Peter Mukerjea was taken into custody three months later. All accused are currently out on bail.

Background of the case

Sheena Bora, who worked as an assistant manager at Mumbai Metro One, went missing on 24 April 2012. For nearly three years, Indrani Mukerjea maintained that her daughter had relocated to the United States for higher studies.

The truth only emerged in August 2015 when Shyamvar Rai was arrested in an unrelated arms case. During questioning, he confessed to his alleged role in the killing, leading investigators to Sheena’s charred remains in a forest in Raigad.

The probe also revealed a complex and controversial family dynamic. Indrani had introduced Sheena to many as her younger sister rather than her daughter. Prosecutors allege that Indrani, along with her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and Rai, strangled Sheena in a car before burning the body in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the crime.

(PTI)