The arrest of former media tycoon Peter Mukerjea in connection with the murder of Sheena Bora is perhaps the latest twist in one of the most dramatic cases in the recent past. However, there’s been little clarity on the motive for the murder until the CBI filed its chargesheet in the case.

So what exactly has the CBI said in its chargesheet?

“Mama says…she wants to get someone out of the way”

Indrani and Peter had objected to Sheena’s relationship with Rahul, Mukerjea’s son from an earlier marriage, a CBI official told PTI. The relationship began in 2008 and it may have been a reason for the murder, the agency has said in its chargesheet.

The chargesheet also said that Vidhie, the daughter of Indrani Mukerjea from her second marriage, had warned Sheena that she had heard Indrani say that she wanted someone ‘out of the way’.

According to the chargesheet, one of Vidhie’s messages to Sheena said, “Umm Sheena it should stay between us 2 only…u and Rahul should be careful cos Mama is getting ‘worried’ about u 2 so I’am just warniing you guys…anything might come across…pls don’t say anything because I will be actually be dead…if not dead Mama do something sooooo bad…trust me I really need your consent this…Mama says…she does not break up the relationship she wants to get someone out of the way…. Please reply back XXX.”(Sic).

But the CBI says that there was a deeper motive for the murder:

A flat in Delhi and blackmail

A CBI official has said that that the reasons for the murder of Sheena included the facts that she was blackmailing her mother Indrani and her relationship with her step-father’s son Rahul.

The official said that Indrani had gifted a seven-bedroom flat in Delhi to her daughter from her first marriage but never transferred it in Sheena’s name. Indrani and Peter sold off apartment for a little over Rs 1 crore without telling her, the official said.

Sheena was enraged by the fact that the flat had been sold without her consent and she started blackmailing her mother by threatening to expose the fact that she was not her sister but her daughter, the official told PTI.

Indrani had reportedly claimed to Peter and others that Sheena was her sister. In an earlier interview , Mukerjea had claimed Sheena had told him about the fact that she was Indrani’s daughter, but he chose not to believe her.

The official said that this was the reason Indrani and Peter made a will stating that if they both were to die, then Vidhie Mukerjea, Indrani’s daughter from her second marriage, would inherit their entire property.

The chargesheet also says that Indrani was worried that if the couple got married their entire property would go the couple since Peter was fond of his son, reports the Hindu .

How the murder took place

Sheena and her driver Shyamvar Rai reportedly plotted on how to commit the murder and got tools like bags to dispose of the body. They also purchased multiple bottles of alcohol and mixed seatives in them, the CBI chargesheet says reports the Telegraph .

Indrani then invited Sheena to meet her for dinner and picked her up in her car with her second husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver. Once she was in the car, Indrani offered her daughter water laced with sedatives and when she became drowsy, Indrani strangled her while the driver covered her mouth and Khanna held her hair, the chargesheet says.

The report says that after the murder, Indrani told the driver: “3 BHK flat Sheena ko mil gaya .”

The chargesheet also reportedly says that when Rahul attempted to call Sheena to check on her, Indrani sent a message from her daughter’s phone pretending to be her. The message from Sheena’s phone said that she was “enjoying” herself and that she wanted to spend the night at Indrani’s house.

Featured image source: PTI