Probe in Sheena murder case adds to the mystery

Sheena was murdered in 2012.

The Sheena Bora murder case might have been one of the most complex and confusing mysteries in Mumbai in recent years, but investigations into the crime are also turning out to be equally confounding.
What should have been a straight-forward investigation into a puzzling murder case, the likes of which the city's famed police force has often handled - and solved - in the past, has become a controversial probe, bringing disrepute not only to the sleuths of Mumbai police, but also reflecting the immaturity of the state administration.
For a force that prides itself on its investigation skills, it was surprising that the murder of Sheena Bora in April 2012, less than 100km from Mumbai, remained under the wraps for so long, despite the local police in Raigad having come across the body. The Maharashtra director-general of police (DGP) ordered a probe recently after it came to light that a junior inspector in Raigad was told by a senior officer not to pursue investigations after recovering the body, apparently after some politicians brought pressure on the police. Last month, after the case surfaced, then police commissioner of Mumbai, Rakesh Maria, personally took charge of the investigations, interrogating Indrani, mother of the victim, former owner of INX Media, which operated many TV channels, and wife of former boss of Star TV India, Peter Mukerjea, and others accused of murdering the 24-year-old woman.
Usually in murder cases, a sub-inspector or an inspector conducts the investigations and interrogates suspects and senior officers are never involved in the day-to-day probe. Maria, however, spent hours at the Khar police station where the investigations were conducted.
There were reports also that Maria personally knew the Mukerjeas, especially Peter, and questions were raised about his unusual interest in the case.
On Friday, a confused government abruptly decided to hand over charge of the investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) "to avoid any doubts in the minds of the public" about the links of top cops to the high-profile couple. - nithin@khaleejtimes.com

• India