CBI May Appeal Court Order to Produce Call Records in Sheena Bora Murder Trial
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced on Tuesday that it is considering challenging a Mumbai special court order directing it to produce call and subscriber records in the Sheena Bora murder trial. The records are sought by the defence to cross-examine a key prosecution witness, Dinesh Kadam, a former police inspector from Khar who conducted the initial investigation into the 2012 murder.
The special court had issued the order on June 19, ruling that the Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Subscriber Detail Records (SDRs) of several key figures were important and relevant to ensure a fair trial. However, the CBI informed the court on Tuesday that it is examining the order and considering challenging it before the high court. The trial's next steps have been delayed pending the agency's decision on whether to file an appeal.
The defence, led by advocate Ranjeet Sangle, had requested a timeline for the delivery of these telecom records. Sangle argued that the non-production of these documents caused serious prejudice to the accused by denying them an effective opportunity to confront prosecution witnesses during cross-examination.
The CBI, represented by special public prosecutor CJ Nandode, previously opposed the defence's application. The prosecution argued that it could not be forced to produce documents that were never collected during its investigation or were not in its possession. Nandode described the defence's application as a fishing and roving inquiry aimed at delaying the trial.
Special Judge Dr. JP Darekar rejected the CBI's objections, pointing out a contradiction in the case. While the CBI claimed it did not possess the records, Kadam testified that he had handed over all investigation papers to the federal agency after it took over the probe. The court noted that the accused sought records for Sheena Bora, Indrani Mukerjea, Shyamvar Rai, Rahul Mukerjea, Sanjeev Khanna, Peter Mukerjea, Mikhail Bora, Siddharth Das, and Pradeep Waghmare.
The alleged murder of 25-year-old Sheena Bora took place in 2012, but only came to light in 2015 following the arrest of Shyamvar Rai, the former driver of Bora's mother, Indrani Mukerjea. Investigators allege that Bora was strangled to death, and her body was subsequently burned in Raigad district.
During Tuesday's court proceedings, the prosecution also examined Rajesh Madhukar Sawant, a former orderly to the superintendent of Arthur Road jail. Sawant, who witnessed the collection of handwriting specimens from accused Sanjeev Khanna, was cross-examined by the defence.
