'Untraceable' remains of Sheena Bora found: Prosecution tells court
What's the story
The prosecution in the Sheena Bora murder case informed a trial court on Wednesday that parts of her purported skeleton—previously reported as "untraceable"—were found at the Central Bureau of Investigation office. Bora (24) was allegedly murdered in 2012 by her mother Indrani Mukerjea and others. The disclosure came as the court received an email claiming that Bora's bones were not lost but held by a forensic expert who had examined them and was now testifying in the case.
Forensic expert
Forensic expert working with accused: Email
Special CBI Judge SP Naik Nimbalkar said the trial court received an email and a hard copy from someone claiming to be forensic expert Dr Zeba Khan's brother. The email alleged that Dr Khan had bought houses abroad and her bank balance had increased as she was working with the accused. It also claimed she had "received crores to lie" about Bora's remains being missing and recently purchased property in Dubai.
Investigation
Defense lawyers request investigation into witness allegations
Subsequently, defense lawyers requested an investigation into the allegations made in the email. Following which, the judge asked for a response from the probe agency. Prosecutor C J Nandode was quoted by news agency PTI as saying, "Again after going through the office `malkhana' (store)....the articles i.e. the bones are (found to be) lying in the malkhana." Bora's remains were recovered by Raigad's Pen Police in 2012 and taken to JJ Hospital for examination. The case remained unresolved until 2015.
Denial
Accused Mukerjea denies existence of Sheena's remains
Indrani, the primary accused and Bora's mother, is currently out on bail. Following the prosecution's previous statement that Bora's remains were 'untraceable,' Indrani claimed that no skeleton remains were discovered back in 2012, describing it as a "concocted story." She also suggested that Rahul Mukerjea, Bora's fiance, should be arrested for questioning regarding the murder case, adding that he was the last person known to have seen Sheena alive.
Revelation
Murder case unearthed 3 years after incident
The murder case came to light in 2015, three years after Bora was reportedly strangled in a car by her mother, Indrani. She was allegedly assisted by her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai in April 2012. The body was purportedly cremated in a forest located in the nearby Raigad district. Bora was Indrani's daughter from a previous relationship.