Court rejects CBI’s plea seeking to stop broadcast of docu-series on Indrani Mukerjea

Mumbai: A special court here on Tuesday rejected a plea moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking a stay on the broadcast of a documentary series on Indrani Mukerjea, a prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case.

CBI special judge S P Naik-Nimbalkar said the court does not have the “inherent power” to stop the broadcast, and asked the probe agency to approach an appropriate forum if advised.

The judge held that the prosecution had not brought to his notice any legal provision for such directions.

The docu-series, titled ‘The Indrani Mukerjea Story: The Buried Truth’, delves into the disappearance of 25-year-old Bora and is scheduled to premiere on streaming platform Netflix on February 23.

In its application filed through public prosecutor C J Nandode, the CBI had asked the court “to issue direction to accused and others concerned for staying/stopping the featuring of the accused persons and the persons connected with the case in the documentary by Netflix and its broadcasting on any platform till the conclusion of the ongoing trial”.

Bora was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Indrani, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012.

Bora was Indrani's daughter from her previous relationship. Her body was burnt in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district.

The murder came to light in 2015, after Rai revealed about the killing following his arrest in another case.

Indrani was arrested in August 2015, and granted bail in May 2022.

The other accused in the case, Rai, Khanna and Peter Mukerjea, are also out on bail.