NEW DELHI: The Bombay High Court has ordered Netflix to organise a special screening for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before releasing the docu-series titled ‘The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth.’
The court’s directive comes in response to objections raised by the CBI, which expressed concerns about the potential impact of the series on the ongoing investigation into the high-profile Sheena Bora murder case.
The docu-series, initially set to premiere on February 23, claims to present “new revelations” surrounding the disappearance of Sheena Bora. However, the CBI argued that the release could adversely affect the case’s outcome and public perception.
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Netflix has assured the court that it will not release the documentary series until February 29, providing some respite to the investigative authorities. The division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande instructed the makers of the docu-series to arrange a special screening for CBI officers and postponed further proceedings to next Thursday.
What was the case?
The Sheena Bora case, a notorious murder that came to light in 2015, involves the alleged killing of 24-year-old Sheena Bora in Mumbai. The victim was the daughter of media executive Indrani Mukerjea and Siddharth Das, raised by her maternal grandparents while Indrani posed as her sister.
Her murder led to the arrest of Indrani, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, and then-husband Peter Mukerjea in a high-profile case. Indrani posed as Sheena’s sister while the motive behind the murder was financial and personal disputes.
The trial involved twists, claims of innocence, and evidence manipulation. In May 2022, the Supreme Court granted bail to Indrani, citing her over six years’ incarceration, noting Peter Mukherjea’s earlier bail. The decision followed a special leave petition against a Bombay High Court order from November 2021.
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The CBI raised objections, contending that the docu-series might hamper the ongoing trial and influence witnesses yet to testify. The court is now awaiting clarification on whether any witnesses, yet to be examined in the case, feature in the series.
In response to the court’s directive, Shreeram Shirsat, the advocate for the CBI, emphasised the agency’s position, stating, “The CBI is only saying that this series should not be released till the trial is concluded. Witnesses who are yet to depose in the case may get influenced by the (airing of the) series.”
Senior counsel Ravi Kadam, representing Netflix, argued that all details of the case were already public and highlighted that Indrani had penned a book on the matter. Kadam pointed out that the trial might be extended for an unspecified period.
