Someday Indrani Mukerjea Will Stand Trial for the Murder of Her Daughter Who She Claims Is Alive
"Why do I need to commit a murder," asks Indrani Mukerjea. "It's so ridiculous ... Sheena is definitely alive."
Published March 1 2024, 3:51 p.m. ET
In the trailer for Netflix's The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth, Mukerjea herself sits poised and polished in a large, tastefully decorated room. Mukerjea's hair is shiny and carefully brushed so that it falls just below her shoulders while her makeup is subtle, yet flawless. It's clear that Mukerjea — who was once the CEO of a successful media company — isn't easily ruffled, despite the fact that she stands accused of murdering her own daughter. "I've not been the perfect mom," she says, "but that also does not make me a murderer."
Something that happens often in the genre of true crime is, consumers will decide someone's guilt or innocence based solely on their reaction to a situation. What these consumers don't realize is, they are just projecting what they believe they would do in a similar scenario. The truth is, no one knows until they are in it. However, Mukerjea is strangely indignant and eerily calm. She speaks evenly about the death of her daughter. So, what happened to her and where is Indrani Mukerjea now?
Indrani Mukerjea is now on house arrest awaiting her trial.
According to the Indian Express, Mukerjea left Byculla Women's Prison in May 2022 after spending a little over six years there. She was granted bail by the Supreme Court which included the "surrendering of her passport before special court, not leaving India without court’s permission, and not contacting any of the witnesses in the case, or tampering with the evidence." She was also instructed to attend her own trial, which as of the time of this writing has not been scheduled.
With her attorney standing beside her, Mukerjea told press that "[e]ven though it might take time, there is justice." She then went on to say, "This has restored my faith in the judiciary [system] and I know that at the end of the day, it is a fair system." Mukerjea is on house arrest in her home in Worli, a neighborhood in Mumbai, which she shares with her third husband Peter Mukerjea. In the documentary, Mukerjea denies doing anything, asking, "Why do I need to commit a murder," asks Indrani Mukerjea. "It's so ridiculous ... Sheena is definitely alive."
What happened to Indrani Mukerjea's daughter, Sheena Bora?
The Hindustan Times reported that on April 24, 2012, Sheena Bora abruptly quit her job and texted her fiancé that things were over. Mukerjea maintains that Bora is traveling in the United States. It should be noted that her fiancé is Rahul Mukerjea, Peter’s son, from his first marriage. Authorities believe their relationship is the motive behind Bora's murder.
The outlet obtained a police report which details the alleged events of the day Bora was killed. She was dropped off by Rahul around 7 p.m. by National College on Linking Road in Bandra (West) in order to have dinner with her mother. Prior to meeting, Mukerjea along with her driver, "Shyamwar Rai, drove in a rented Opel Corsa to Hotel Hilltop at Worli, where her former husband, Sanjeev Khanna, was staying, around 6 p.m.," per the Hindustan Times. Mukerjea had already booked a room there.
After checking in, they left to pick up Bora who sat in the backseat with Khanna while her mother sat in the front as Rai drove. Mukerjea told Rai to pull into an empty by-lane near National College which is where Khanna allegedly strangled Bora. Once she was dead, they drove back to Mukerjea's home and placed Bora's body in a bag. Khanna then headed to the hotel, Mukerjea stayed at her home, and Rai slept in the car with the Bora's body.
Early that morning around 1:30 or 2 a.m., Khanna and Mukerjea were picked up by Rai who drove them to an "isolated spot on the Raigad highway near the village." They they apparently dragged Bora's body to a secluded spot, poured gasoline on it, and left.
For more on this story, stream The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth on Netflix.