Court sends Indrani Mukerjea to judicial custody

New Delhi: A special court here today sent Indrani Mukerjea, a prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, to 14 days judicial custody in connection with a case related to INX Media. Special CBI Judge Sunil Rana remanded Indrani to judicial custody after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said she was not required for further custodial interrogation in this case.

Indrani, who was produced before the court after two-day CBI custody ended, will be taken to Mumbai today itself. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram’s son Karti’s name has also cropped up in the case, which relates to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval granted in 2007 for receipt of funds by INX Media.

Indrani is one of the founders of INX Media. The CBI had earlier said Indrani was required to be questioned and confronted with other accused in the case. There are voluminous records in the case and permission to interrogate had been granted earlier as well, it had said.

The Mumbai Police had told the court that Indrani has to be produced before a Mumbai court on February 13 and cannot be kept in Delhi beyond that. The Enforcement Directorate has registered a case against INX Media, its founders Peter Mukerjea, former media baron, and his wife Indrani, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

INX Media has been accused of violating FIPB guidelines while receiving investments from Mauritius. The Mukerjeas are facing trial in Mumbai for allegedly conspiring to kill Sheena Bora, Indrani’s daughter from an earlier relationship, in April 2012.