The Sheena Bora murder trial saw explosive testimony when Vidhie Mukerjea, daughter of accused Indrani Mukerjea, told a Mumbai court that her mother’s jewellery and bank deposits were siphoned off within weeks of her arrest in 2015.
Vidhie alleged that Rahul and Rabin Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea’s sons from an earlier marriage, took charge of ancestral jewellery and diverted funds worth several crores. “All of my mother’s jewellery was taken by Rahul and Rabin. A new locker was opened in their names to keep the stolen items. The jewellery originally belonged to my parents, Indrani and Peter,” she told the court.
She claimed this left her with no financial support just 15 days after Indrani was taken into custody.
₹7 Crore Allegedly Drained From Bank Accounts
According to her testimony, over ₹7 crore was removed from Indrani’s ANZ Bank account in India and her NatWest account in the UK. “The passwords were changed, and my mother was locked out of her accounts without consent,” she said.
Vidhie suggested that Peter’s sons had a motive beyond money. “They wanted to ensure that she would never come out of prison,” she told the special CBI court.
Regrets Over Memoir
She also walked back from her 2021 memoir, Devil’s Daughter, which had cast her mother in a negative light. She said Rahul Mukerjea had influenced her perspective at the time. “If I could go back in time, I would never have written the book,” she admitted, adding that she no longer endorsed its contents.
On the stand, Vidhie recalled that Sheena Bora had introduced herself as her mother’s sister. “My mother never disclosed or informed me that Sheena was her daughter,” she said. The CBI has long maintained that Indrani passed off Sheena, her daughter from an earlier relationship, as her sibling to hide her past.
She told how family dynamics soured after Sheena began a relationship with Rahul. “Initially, Sheena and Indrani were extremely close. But disputes increased after Rahul moved into the house. Arguments worsened as the family came to know that Rahul was consuming hard drugs and Sheena had also started consuming them,” she said.
Investigators allege that Indrani disapproved of the relationship, a conflict that ultimately culminated in Sheena’s murder in April 2012, allegedly carried out by Indrani, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, and driver Shyamwar Rai.
Allegations Of Fabricated Statements
Vidhie further accused both the Khar police and the CBI of mishandling her statements. “I was made to sign blank or unrelated papers… somebody fabricated my statements to falsely implicate my biological parents,” she alleged.
She said Peter’s family pressured her to take sides after Indrani’s arrest. “If I chose my mother, I was told I would be on my own,” she said, adding that she was even prevented from meeting Indrani in custody.
Property Dispute & Adoption Revelation
Vidhie also testified about financial disputes with Peter Mukerjea. She said the transfer of a Worli flat promised to her was blocked, she was removed from his will, and later discovered that Peter had never formally adopted her. “Despite all the transgressions of my father, Peter Mukerjea and his family, I still love him very much,” she added.
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