INDRANI MUKHERJEE CASE - A ANALYSIS

                                       INDRANI MUKHERJEE CASE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            01.09.15

The Indrani Mukherjee case is being covered extensively in the newspapers and TV channels. She is a millionaire and wife of former media baron Peter Mukherjee. It is alleged that she murdered her own daughter Sheena Bora in April 2012 and attempted to murder her son Mikail Bora also.

The police is frantically trying to unravel the mystery and giving information on the investigation in tit bits to the media. The media is also doing its own investigation and placing information on the various aspects of the case. Nothing is clear till date. Rather all this information particularly by the police has created more confusion then clarity. Let us divide this analysis into 3 parts :

1. What is clear but not clear

2. What is not clear

3.The murder plot

What is clear but not clear

1.The police says that the driver Shyam Rai was caught with a unlicensed weapon and subsequently revealed the plot. There seems to be no logical explanation as to why a person would confess to a crime voluntarily which he has committed. The murder of Sheena was committed in 2012 and nobody was aware of it till 2015. So Shyam Rai could have been charged for carrying a unlicensed weapon but questioning him about this murder was not possible. Obviously the police is hiding something. The information about this has come from some other source which the police is not disclosing.

2. The police says that the driver disclosed that the body of Sheena was taken to Raigarh forest and burnt. Till date there is no evidence that skeletal remains found there belongs to Sheena. Forensic experts say that it is difficult to find the DNA from bones exposed to nature for such a long time. So infact whether the skeletal remains found belong to Sheena is not clear. To be precise there is no dead body of Sheena till now.

3. Sheena was obviously wearing clothes and shoes when she was allegedly murdered. Not a single piece of burnt cloth has been found at the spot and neither the shoes have been traced.

4. Police says that after killing Sheena her body was taken to the Raigarh forest in a car in a sitting position. She was placed between Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna in a sitting position. Scientifically rigor mortis sets after death in 4-5 hours. The dead body stiffens and it is difficult to change its position. Sheena was killed according to the police at about 6PM on 24th April and her body was lying in the car in a prone position for more than 8 hours. So how could her body be bent in a sitting position when she was taken 8 hours later

5. Police says that Mikail Bora the brother of Sheena was also in Indrani house on the day of the murder. He was also drugged and was to be killed. He escaped even though he was drugged. It is not clear where he went after leaving the house in a drugged condition & how he reached Guwhati.

6. The police says that the former husband Sanjeev Khanna has confessed to the crime. He has said that he was sleeping in the car when Sheena was murdered and when he woke up he found the body besides him. This seems to be ridiculous. If he did not kill Sheena then the only person left besides him is Indrani and the driver. Indrani alone throttling Sheena is not believable. First of all this requires immense amount of strength  and secondly a mother killing in cold blood her own offspring with her own hands is hard to believe. This leaves the driver who has flatly denied  directly participating in the murder. So the confession of Sanjeev Khanna is doubtful. He is not telling the truth.

7. The police says that Indrani and Sanjeev first drugged Sheena. Sheena was in the car. So how did they drug her. Sheena would have struggled. Was the drug given orally or injected ?

8. All the accused were presented in the court on 31st Aug for extending their police remand .

Daughter Vidhi also came to the court. She hugged Indrani and both of them cried. Till now everybody was convinced that Indrani is the murderer but not Vidhi. If she considered her mother a murderer then she would not have hugged her and wept. Why did she do this is not clear.

What is not clear

1. The motive for the murder is still not established. There have been instances of a mother killing her own child but these have been mostly done to protect the child. For example the mother has been abandoned and there is nowhere to go or any hope left. Extreme poverty or a drunkard husband who is a womaniser. In such cases the mother may kill herself as well as the child to take revenge or to prevent the child from the agony of facing future misery. In this case nothing of this sort has happened.

The police has attributed the motive as financial greed. They claim that Indrani was afraid that if Sheena married Rahul she and her daughter Vidhie( from the 2nd marriage) would be deprived of considerable amount of Peter wealth. Nobody has explained how Rahul marrying Sheena would deprive Vidhi of her wealth. After all Rahul would marry someone in his life. The other point is that both Vidhi and Sheena are daughters of Indrani. For a mother to kill one daughter to protect the interest of another does not hold water.

The police also says that Indrani transferred some of her ill-gotten wealth in other names including Sheena for safekeeping. Sheena refused to part with this money when Indrani asked to return it and therefore she was killed. If Sheena had the money where is it ? The police has not found any such bank account or discovered any such transaction. Without a motive it cannot be conclusively said that Indrani murdered Sheena.

2.Police has said that Sanjeev Khanna was lured by Indrani to participate in the murder by promising him that he would be allowed to meet his daughter Vidhi. Nobody in his senses would do this. Just to meet his daughter he would never murder someone. The other reason advanced is that he was paid considerable amount of money by Indrani. Again the police has not produced any proof of this.

3.Rahul Mukherjee and Sheena were living together. He was the person who dropped Sheena at the National College from where Indrani picked her up. He was the person who knew that Sheena passport was lying in his house in Dehradun. Indrani afterwards told him that Sheena has left for US. He knew that this was a lie since the passport was with him. He should have been alarmed and should have relentlessly stared searching for her. After all she was her would be wife. It is not clear why he kept quiet for 3 years. According to the police he has told that he went to report it but did get any response so he just did not do anything. Pretty thin excuse.

4. Mikail Bora brother of Sheena reported that a attempt was to murder him also on the same date Sheena was murdered. He just ran away to Guwhati . He did not report this matter and neither did he made any attempts to find out about Sheena. This is pretty strange

5.Police has claimed that Indrani impersonating Sheena sent several messages from Sheena's mobile to Rahul telling him she is no more interested in him. It is not clear if Sheena mobile has been traced. Where ever the mobile is it can be traced by its sim card to Indrani's house. It is not clear why this has not been done.

6. It is not clear why the police was not interested in tracing and questioning the first husband of Indrani. He has been traced by the media and still not questioned and neither his house searched. There is every possibility that he was in touch with his daughter Sheena and she disclosed some facts to him about Indrani ill-gotten wealth. Siddhartha the husband then decided to make use of this information. Some evidence can be found from his phone records and from the search of his house.

7. The police has also hinted that there is a fourth person also involved. It is still not clear who this person is and his role in the murder.

8. It is not clear why police did not question Peter Mukherjee in the initial stages. He has become questioned today after 10 days. Peter said to the media that he was in love with Indrani and that is why he disbelieved Mikail and Sheena telling him that Indrani was their mother and not siblings. He even did not believe Rahul when he told him this. Indrani was closest to Peter her husband but he did not notice any unusual behavior in her conduct or movement. Right before his nose his wife plans and commits a murder and he blissfully remains unaware.

9. It is not clear why the police has still not searched the residence of Indrani and Peter in Worli,Mumbai.

10. All the accused and other people have only confessed or given their statements on paper before the police. This is not admissible before a court of law. Anybody can change its statement and whatever they said at the time of trial. Even the driver and Sanjeev Khanna can change their story. It is not clear why the confession have not been made before a magistrate under section 164 of the CRPC so that it can be treated as a evidence.

The murder plot

Till now the entire focus is on Indrani. It is assumed that she is the prime accused. She has not confessed to the crime even after 10 days of police custody. This is not a simple hit and run murder case. It involves a entire family and many relationships which are complex and many issues which are extremely private. Till now even the motive has not conclusively established. There are many possibilities other than what the police is clinging to.

1. There can be a sex angle. Maybe Peter Mukherjee was having a incestuous relationship with Sheena. Then Sheena started blackmailing Peter. She took photographs and threatened to expose him. She started demanding a share in the property. It is then that Peter decided to eliminate her.

Maybe he confessed this to Indrani and then they both planned together to kill her

2. Maybe Indrani got bored of her husband Peter. After all this was her third marriage. She decided to resume her relationship with Sanjeev Khanna. She used to visit Calcutta a lot. There can be a possibility that Sheena became aware of this. Maybe she told her father Siddhartha Das about it who was in Calcutta also to investigate. After this Sheena alone or with her father started blackmailing Indrani that they will expose them. Had they exposed this to Peter he would have divorced Indrani and taken away all the wealth. So Sanjeev and Indrani planned to kill Sheena. Maybe they planned to kill Siddhartha Das also who went into hiding.

3. It is also possible that Siddhartha Das who was living a lower middle class life decided to make some extra money. He had never married Indrani. Indrani was only 17 yrs old then. They had two children in 3 yrs of their married life. So how did Indrani agreed to have a live in relationship. In those times it was never even possible to think of it. The past of Siddhartha Das is shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows what he used to do when he married Indrani. It is possible that he was a pimp in Shillong and somehow trapped Indrani. He then used her to supply to clients and earn his living. Then somehow Indrani escaped his clutches and fled to Calcutta. He had lot of material evidence to blackmail her. He conveyed this to Indrani through Sheena and maybe told Mikail also about it. So she was forced to help them with money. It is revealed that Sheena used to hate her mother. Maybe this was because Sheena knew about her mother's salacious past. Maybe Indrani had to kill both Sheena and Mikail because of this.

4. There are also reports that Sheena was pregnant at the time of her murder. She went to Singapore with some person and became intimate. Nobody knows who this person is. It is possible that Rahul came to know about this and became furious. He decided to kill her. After all he was the person who handed over Sheena to Indrani on the day of the murder and then kept quite all the time about her disappearance.

5. It is also possible that Indrani is completely innocent. She was forced into these circumstances unknowingly and the murderer is someone still hidden.

6. Till now the motive and the plot revolves around financial dealings . The police has not been able to establish this by any documentary evidence.

Ultimately the case till now is completely based on circumstantial evidence. There is no direct evidence to connect Indrani with the murder. All the witnesses have accused her only. Even her husband now has refused to defend her case. A lot of money has surely exchanged hands. The police investigation is fuzzy and has lot of loop holes .The kernel of the mystery is still hidden and only the outer shell has been scrapped.

So let us see when the real picture will emerge. Truth should prevail.

ASHOK KUMAR

                              

INDO PAK TALKS & MODI

                                           INDO PAK TALKS & MODI                                    

                                                                                                               28.8.15

The talks were scheduled on the 24th August,2015 and Mr Sartaz Aziz the NSA of Pakistan was to arrive on 23rd. South Block was buzzing with activity and the officials were giving last minute touches to documents to be presented during the meeting. Pakistan was to be presented with irrefutable evidence of its involvement in terrorist activites in India. The dossiers on Naved, Hafeez Sayeed & Dawood  were revised again and again . A Power Point presentation was under preparation projecting the various terrorist training camps inside Pakistan and the routes taken by these Jihadis to enter India with the active support of the ISI and the Pakistani Army.

Along the long corridor of the western wing of the South Block Mr Doval (NSA) was briskly walking towards the lift at the far end. He had been here many times but this time there was a sense of urgency in his gait. He pressed a button and the lift descended before him. The doors were locked and a red light was blinking on the outside. He pressed his palm against the slot and  a blinking green light with the message "Authenticating" appeared. Finger prints of all his five fingers were being matched. After ten seconds there was a whirling noise and the door opened. The lift started descending into the basement. Deep below the South Block a concrete set of offices were located where the PM  held meetings requiring utmost secrecy. It was secured against the most severe nuclear attacks. Doval entered the orange door marked "Prime Minister".  The room was informally furnished with sofa sets and coffee tables. Mr Modi was seated on a sofa with the Foreign secretary Mr Jaishankar opposite him. There was a third person also who was sitting quietly on a chair wearing a plain pyjama kurta. He was from the RSS.

Mr Doval did a namaste to Modi and then sat in a chair opposite him. Modi asked him whether all the preparation for the meeting was complete. Doval nodded . Jaishankar turned to the PM and said " Sir we know that Pakistan will never accept any evidence we place before them. I was thinking to place the recording of the telephonic conversations between COAS Raheel Sharif and Nawaz Shareef which RAW recorded last week. There the Army Chief is clearly threatening Nawaz Sharif not to make any commitment to arrest Hafeez Sayeed or Dawood. He clearly said that the aim of the Army is to separate Kashmir from India and that should be the only purpose of the talks. He also told Nawaz to make sure that Sartaz insists on meeting the Hurriyat leaders. Tell them that we would consult the Hurriyat."

Doval shifted in his seat . Modi turned to him " What do you say"

"Sir this will not be advisable" he said " Our assets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad would be in danger of being exposed. They are deep assets and providing us with valuable information. There position will be compromised and we will be deprived of sensitive information in the future."

Modi thought for a moment and said " Yes I think that is not advisable"

Jai he said " The joint statement which we issued in Ufa did it contain a clause that no other issue other than terrorism will be discussed during the NSA meeting in New Delhi ?"

"Well Sir the opening paragraph stated that India and Pakistan are committed to discuss all outstanding issues" Jaishankar replied " But clause one stated that all issues connected to terrorism will be discussed"

" This is ridiculous" Modi said in a agitated tone" This is a bloody oxymoron. Now they will say we want to discuss Kashmir also. You drafted the joint statement and left a opportunity opened for Pakistan to scuttle the talks.

"But Sir " Jaishankar replied " I showed you the draft"

" What shown me the draft ? Don't you know that I am weak in english. If I have to read every draft then what are you doing as Foreign Secretary. Moreover I am new as PM. In this situation I cannot even blame the UPA if anything goes wrong."

The RSS man slipped one leg over the other and bent forward towards Modi and said

" There is one more thing. Read clause 4 it says mechanism for facilitating religious tourism will also be discussed. Modi Ji as a former RSS Pracharak you know very well that as a Hindu nation we must discourage all Muslim activities here. In fact our cadre  is doing their best to demean the Muslims and other minority communities and hit them where necessary. Contrary to this you are encouraging Muslims from Pakistan to come to India for religious pilgrimage. This is not acceptable"

"Did you do this" Modi asked Jaishankar who was now sitting with a sullen face

"Sir what to do" Jaishankar replied" A joint statement has to take into consideration the demands of the opposite side also. Moreover they also agreed not to mention Kashmir ."

"But why specifically religious tourism? Modi said" Why not general tourism where everyone can visit Pakistan. Why tie up tourism with religion. By the way what is Sushma Swaraj doing ? Why does she not look into all these mattes? It looks that I have to do everything myself"

There was a smile playing on Doval face. He said to Modi " Sir after becoming PM you had clearly instructed that all Ministers should only keep their offices clean and leave all official matters for the PMO office to deal. Nobody reports to Cabinet Ministers and all decisions are taken by your good self"

"Hmmm" Modi said" Yes it is OK. The Gujrat model of governance is the best"

"Sir I want to tell that last time you cancelled the talks because Hurriyat was invited by the Pakistan High Commissioner for discussions. Though I had clearly explained to you that such meetings will hardly effect our position on Kashmir. Hurriyat is also on our payrolls and our agents in the valley hold them by their necks. These meetings were held earlier also.These are only photo sessions. Pakistan has to feed something  to its gullible public back there . So drawing a red line on the Hurriyat issue was not advisable. Moreover we have already jumped one red line drawn earlier regarding no talks till terrorism and cross border attacks are stopped by Pakistan. This time also Hurriyat has been invited for discussions. So do you want the talks to be cancelled this time also.?"

"You have a point there Doval" Modi said in a pensive mood" Sometimes I think I am still the CM of Gujrat. I was much happier there. It will take some time for me to broaden my thinking to fit into this new role. Maybe I should go through some books written by Nehru."

"But Sir by cancelling the Indo Pak talks last time you have drawn a unnecessary red line" Doval repeated

" I had to prove that I am more macho than MMS in dealing with Pakistan. Moreover I received a call from Mohan Bhagwat himself that Hurriyat meeting is not acceptable even at the cost of cancellation of talks.Now how can I refuse him ? After all he made me the PM. "

The RSS man fidgeted in his chair. Coughed and said "But we told not to meet before the talks. After the talks we did not have any objections"

"So before the talks they are a separatist organisation" Jaishankar said" but after the talks they become a social organisation. What nonsense"

The RSS man glared at him.

Jaishankar continued " Modi Ji tell us what we should do now. The Hurriyat is invited on the 23rd at a reception in honor of Sartaz Aziz. The talks are on 24th. According to the RSS on 23rd we cannot allow them to meet the Pakistanis but on 25th they can meet."

" Oof" Modi  took a deep breath" What a mess. You people have put me into a difficult situation. On the other side US is poking me with a stick to go ahead with the talks. Here I am surrounded by morons who cannot find a solution.Now we cannot do anything. We are trapped. Izzat ka sawal hai. A man of my stature with a 56" chest cannot bend now."

"But Sir" Jaishankar pleaded" This is coercive diplomacy. That too on such a insignificant matter. The talks are important for our long range objectives and for the prosperity of our people"

"It is now to late to alter our red lines. It will shatter my image . What will my bhakts think of me" Modi retorted

The telephone on the table buzzed and Doval picked it up and listened intently.

"Sartaz Aziz is giving a press conference" he said " I will switch on the TV.

He walked towards the front wall,pulled a panel and switched on the large screen TV inside.

Sartaz Aziz wizened  face appeared on the TV with a sardonic smile playing on his lips. He was waving some folders and roaring that here is the evidence that RAW is behind all the terrorism in Pakistan. A close camera shot revealed that the folders were empty. He was saying we also have our red lines. No talks if Hurriyat is not allowed to meet me. No talks if Kashmir is not discussed"

So before the hen could hatch it was killed.

Modi turned to Jaishankar and said" Connect me to Sushma Swaraj"

Jaishankar dialed the number, briefed her then handed over the phone to Modi

"Sushma Ji call a press conference" Modi said" Tell them that Sartaz is welcome to come but no Hurriyat. No Kashmir"

" Why should I be always chosen to do the dirty work" Sushma squeaked on the phone" You mess up things and I am the person to announce the fatal outcomes. Moreover I am busy winding up the messy Lalit Modi affair"

"Do as I tell you" Modi shouted and banged the phone.

So gentlemen wait for the next thrilling Indo Pak episode . Till then. Bye

ASHOK KUMAR