Sheena Bora-Das murder case: A sordid saga of love, lust and treachery

Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS) A sensational and cold-blooded murder involving big players that would have gone undetected, was accidentally uncovered in Mumbai around 13 years ago, proving that crime never pays.

The murder grabbed national headlines because it involved big business players, former media executives and was a sordid saga of love and treachery coupled with lust for money and power.

A young executive working for Mumbai Metro One, Sheena Bora-Das, suddenly vanished on April 24, 2012, but strangely a missing person complaint was never filed by her mother Indrani Mukerjea or her mother’s husband Peter Mukerjea -- both former media honchos -- and she gradually faded from public memory.

After over two years of Sheena Bora-Das’ disappearance, the Mumbai Police acted on a tip-off and kept tabs on Indrani’s driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai. They arrested him on August 21, 2015 in an illegal arms possession case.

During sustained interrogation, Rai spilled the beans on what emerged as one of the most scandalous cases of filicide. Sheena’s murder was allegedly masterminded by her mother Indrani, along with her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, current husband Peter Mukerjea and the driver Rai willy-nilly becoming a partner-in-crime.

When Sheena came to Mumbai years ago, Indrani had passed her off as her ‘younger sister’, but the fact that Sheena was actually her daughter came to light only after the murder when Sheena’s bitter and shocked brother Mikhail made the stunning revelation.

Given the sensitivity of the case and the sensational elements with potential political implications, the case was probed directly by top Commissioner-level officers of the Mumbai Police.

Over the days, gory and shocking details emerged, ensuring that the crime grabbed headlines for months.

After Rai revealed the family’s dirty secret, the police shadowed Indrani, her ex-husband and subsequently, even Peter Mukerjea.

Finally, after gathering witnesses and evidence, the Mumbai Police arrested Indrani in August 2015, and Peter was nabbed after three months, in November 19.

As the probe picked up pace, the police nabbed Indrani’s ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and later also traced her ex-partner, Siddhartha Das, who was purportedly the biological father of Sheena, in September 2015.

The entire real-life blood-curdling saga -- that is more chilling than any Agatha Christie murder mystery -- was laid bare by all the arrested-accused, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) entered the scene later and lodged its own FIR and probe.

It was way back on April 24, 2012, that Sheena allegedly took leave and then sent in her ‘written resignation’ to the company and allegedly even sent a ‘break-up’ message to her fiance Rahul Mukerjea -- the son of Peter Mukerjea who was actually Sheena’s step-sibling but didn’t know that at the time.

Indrani, however, claimed to the Worli Police that her "sister Sheena", ostensibly apprehensive of Rahul’s alleged ‘stalking’, had quietly left for the US to pursue higher studies, and the matter ended there.

In his confession, the driver Rai blew the lid off the sordid abduction-cum-murder of Sheena planned by Indrani in connivance with her ex-husband Khanna. Her husband Peter allegedly connived by surveying a possible spot to dump her body.

Khanna flew down from Kolkata to Mumbai on April 24 and stayed at a Worli hotel. Putting the murder-plan in high gear, Indrani hired a car and asked Sheena to meet her that fateful evening along with Khanna at the Worli hotel.

After Rahul Mukerjea dropped her off in Bandra, Indrani, Khanna and Rai picked her up. Sheena sat in the back seat with her step-dad Khanna. They took her to one of the deserted bylanes in Bandra and he strangled her in the moving car, as per the probe.

Later, they calmly took Sheena’s body to Indrani’s Worli home, packed it up in a bag and stuffed it in the trunk of the hired car. While Khanna returned to his hotel, Rai spent half the night in the same car with the body lying in the boot.

In the wee hours of April 25, 2012, the trio drove some 85 kms to the Gagode Village in Raigad, and at around 4 am they stopped the car at a desolate spot in the jungle.

Sheena’s body -- which was kept in an upright position to avoid police attention en route -- was again stuffed into the bag and they poured petrol over it and set it on fire.

They waited till it completely burnt down and then drove down to Mumbai as if nothing had happened, and Khanna left for Kolkata later that day.

The diabolic deed came to light after nearly three years with Rai’s arrest in the illegal arms case, leading to a series of high-profile arrests, stories of falsehoods, deceit, betrayal and the violent end of a young girl.

Now divorced, Peter and Indrani, as well as the killer mom’s former husband Khanna secured bail at various points, while Rai has turned an approver in the horrifying case.

As per the CBI probe Indrani allegedly killed Sheena because she disapproved of her relationship with Rahul. She also had financial disputes with Sheena, the agency said.

Nearly 13 years after the merciless murder and nine years after all the accused were arrested, the case continues and the verdict is awaited.