The Bombay High Court on Monday urged Indrani Mukerjea, the prime suspect in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, to manage her banking affairs in Spain and the UK from India, if feasible. Justice S.C. Chandak raised concerns during the hearing about the necessity of Mukerjea’s physical presence overseas unless absolutely required for genuine and bona fide reasons. This suggestion follows the court’s interim stay last month on a lower court’s decision allowing her overseas travel.
The CBI, represented by advocate Shreeram Shirsat, informed the court that most of Mukerjea’s banking transactions could be conducted online, negating the need for her to leave the country. However, Mukerjea’s lawyer, Ranjeet Sangle, argued that she needed to reactivate her defunct bank accounts abroad in person before any transactions could be made.
Further complicating matters, Justice Chandak noted additional activities listed by Mukerjea, such as repair work at a residential property in Spain, which were not initially declared in her travel application to the special CBI court. “This raises doubts and our eyebrows… Prima facie, such conduct will act against you,” Justice Chandak remarked, signaling a potential impact on her request.
The court has asked for a detailed list from both Mukerjea and the CBI by August 27, outlining the necessary tasks and exploring whether they can indeed be managed from India. The hearing has been adjourned to the same date, with the interim stay on her travel also extended until then.
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The conditions laid down by the special court during its initial permission included that Mukerjea visit the office of the Indian Embassy or its allied diplomatic mission offices at least once during her stay abroad to obtain an attendance certificate, along with a directive to furnish a security deposit of Rs 2 lakh.
