Bombay High Court refuses nod to Indrani Mukerjea’s plans to travel abroad

The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to grant permission to Indrani Mukerjea, a key accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, to travel abroad. A trial court had initially granted her permission, but the CBI challenged this in the High Court.
A bench led by Justice Shyam Chandak ruled, “The petition is allowed, and the impugned order is set aside.”
The bench stated that no sufficient or reasonable case had been made. It specified that the decision was not based on the merits or seriousness of the charges against Mukerjea but rather on whether there was a genuine need for her to travel abroad.
The bench noted that the authorities could assist her in completing the tasks she intended to accomplish overseas.
Mukerjea had planned to travel to Spain, as she and her former husband, Peter Mukerjea, held joint bank accounts there. Additionally, a property they owned was reportedly in disrepair.
Mukerjea stated that she needed to convert the joint accounts into single ownership, complete biometric and KYC procedures, pay property taxes, and handle other related matters. In addition to Spain, Mukerjea also needed to travel to the United Kingdom.
The CBI approached the High Court after the trial court permitted Mukerjea to travel abroad for 10 days within a three-month window between two consecutive hearing dates. CBI lawyer Shreeram Shirsat argued that, as a British citizen, Mukerjea posed a flight risk.
However, Mukerjea’s lawyer, Ranjeet Sangle, countered that the Supreme Court, while granting her bail, did not consider her a flight risk, despite her British citizenship. He stated that the list of tasks Mukerjea needed to address required her physical presence in those countries and could not be completed virtually or delegated.
Mukerjea is facing prosecution for the alleged murder of her daughter, Sheena Bora, who disappeared in 2012. The crime came to light in 2015 after Mukerjea’s driver was arrested by Mumbai Police.