A court here today remanded former media baron Peter Mukerjea in judicial custody till December 14 in the Sheena Bora murder case.
"The accused is remanded in judicial custody till December 14," Magistrate N B Shinde said.
CBI counsel Kavita Patil told the court that the agency's investigation for now is over and Peter may be remanded in judicial custody.
Yesterday, CBI had secured Peter's custody for one more day (till today) telling the court that it needs to ascertain if he had made any 'deceptive reply' during the polygraph test conducted on him on Saturday and Sunday.
"The custody (of Peter) is required to ascertain his version on the point of deceptive reply, if any, during the polygraph test and also to ascertain other relevant facts", CBI had said.
The probe agency had also told the court that it is expecting information from Interpol on the details of an account opened by Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in murder case, in a bank in Hong Kong.
Peter, 59, husband of Indrani, was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the murder case and was in CBI custody.
He was on Friday taken to Delhi by CBI for conducting a polygraph test on him and brought back to Mumbai yesterday.
Sheena (24) was allegedly strangled in a car and then her body burnt and dumped in a forest in Raigad, about 84 kms from Mumbai.
Indrani (43), her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her ex-driver Shyamvar Rai have been chargesheeted in the case. The victim was Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship.
CBI, while maintaining that financial transaction was the motive behind the murder of Sheena, had earlier said that Peter, during his interrogation, disclosed investments of crores of rupees made by him and Indrani.
"It was only after Indrani's driver Shyam Rai was
arrested, the case came to light, but from the day when Sheena went missing in April 2012 till the time of Rai's arrest, despite requests made by Rahul, Peter did not make any attempt to find out Sheena," Additional Solicitor General Singh said.
Singh said despite attempts, both of them were not successful in separating Rahul and Sheena.
"Peter is part of the conspiracy and was aware about everything," Singh said, adding if he is let out on bail, he might tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses.
The ASG said the charges against Peter was serious.
"Entire planning had been done and strategy worked out and it was done in such a way that for three years, nothing came out," Singh said.
We have material in the form of call records, e-mails, confessions, statements of witnesses to suggest complicity of Peter and the CBI will file the chargesheet against him and come before the court with evidence, Singh told the court.
Peter's lawyers Amit Desai and Kushal Mor told the court that the CBI was only able to infer that Peter had knowledge and he did not inform the police and misled his son.
"CBI is only saying that Peter had knowledge of the crime post April 24," Desai said.
He also said there was not even a prima facie case against Peter, adding that the CBI doesn't have any material that transcends from knowledge, intention to agreement.
"Peter was not against the relationship between them," he said.
"There is nothing about Peter that shows that he has role in planning, what the CBI is trying to show is that phone call between Peter and Indrani took place in relation to the murder," Desai argued and added that CBI does not have any transcript.
(Reopens LGB 8)
Desai also argued that knowledge is not sufficient to make a prima-facie case.
"The case is that of knowledge and not of conspiracy, hence you cannot hold (Peter)," Desai contended.
He told the court that Indrani informed Peter that Sheena was fine, which he considered as "truth".
Desai said even Vidhie, Indrani's daughter with Khanna, had warned Sheena that mother (Indrani) would do bad to her and not Peter.
"Indrani misled Peter and the only statement that Peter gave to police and media is that he trusted his wife," Desai said.
In his bail application, Peter has said that CBI found no evidence to justify his arrest and even subjected him to psycho-analysis and polygraph tests.
CBI has claimed that the motive had to do with financial transactions.
Peter (59), was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the murder. He has been kept at the high-security Arthur Road Jail here, where Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai are also lodged.
