Sheena Bora murder: Skeletal remains traced, CBI tells court

The few human bones that were alleged to have suddenly gone missing from CBI's storeroom or malkhana in Mumbai where evidence related to the 2015 Sheena Bora murder case were kept have suddenly reappeared.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday told the special CBI court that they have found the bones that they had themselves said earlier were untraceable. Forensic expert Dr Zeba Khan was in the witness box when Public Prosecutor CJ Nandode had last month said that the bones were not traceable.

On Wednesday, when the Sheena Bora murder trial began, Khan was in court but before she could be questioned in the witness box, Special CBI judge SP Naik Nimbalkar pointed out that an email and a hard copy were sent by a person who claimed to be Khan's brother.

The email alleged that Khan had bought properties abroad and her bank balance too had swelled up as she was hand in gloves with the accused. The complaint alleged that Khan and the accused could be behind the evidence suddenly vanishing.

Looking at this complaint, the judge was of the view that the allegations were serious and needed to be investigated. Advocate Ranjeet Sangle representing accused Indrani Mukerjea, advocate Manjula Rao representing Peter Mukerjea and advocate Shreyansh Mithare representing Sanjeev Khanna immediately agreed and sought an investigation into the allegation before proceeding any further.

However, Nandode sought time to take instructions and later in the day came back to the court to say that the bones were lying in the Malkhana but the CBI no longer wanted to rely on the evidence. Nandode stressed that the cross-examination of the witness, Khan should not be halted for this reason.

The lawyers for the accused sought that the bones be produced in court. However, the judge said that when the investigating agency was not relying on it, then the exercise was futile. The court then went ahead with the cross-examination and the procedure got over before the end of the day. However, Sangle and Rao again sought that the allegations in the complaint sent to court should be investigated as the allegations have been levelled against the accused as well and it was important for them.

Judge Naik Nimbalkar said that a formal order on the issue will be passed on Thursday.

The CBI alleges that Sheena Bora was strangled by her mother, Indrani Mukerjea, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, and driver Shyamwar Rai in 2012. The body was then allegedly transported to Pen village and burned. The allegation against Peter Mukerjea is of being part of the conspiracy.

The skeletal remains recovered by Pen police in 2012 were sent to JJ Hospital for examination. The case remained unsolved until 2015 when Rai's arrest led to the revelation of the alleged murder. Rai later turned approver in the case.