CBI court issues LRs in Sheena Bora murder case

A special CBI court in Mumbai has issued judicial requests to Singapore, Hong Kong and the US in the Sheena Bora murder case seeking details of financial transactions done by main accused Indrani Mukerjea and her husband Peter.
CBI sources said the Letters Rogatory will be sent through diplomatic channels to judicial authorities of Singapore, Hong Kong and the US with a request to provide desired information.
The agency which has named in the charge sheet Sheena's mother Indrani, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai for allegedly murdering her has now focused its attention on money as possible motive behind the killing.

24-year-old Bora, Indrani's daughter from her first marriage, was allegedly murdered in April 2012. Peter was also arrested in the case.
Earlier, the agency had told the court that it has sought Interpol's help for access to overseas bank accounts of the Mukerjeas.
CBI had claimed that investments of crores of rupees were allegedly made by the Mukerjea couple and that "Indrani and Peter had formed various companies during 2006-07 and invested Rs 900 crore in them".

The agency had alleged that the "money siphoned off from INX (in which Peter and Indrani were partners) dealings was routed to Sheena Bora's HSBC account in Singapore".

CBI also told the court that a woman working in DBS Bank Singapore allegedly helped Indrani open an account in HSBC Singapore in the name of Sheena.
During investigations, Peter had allegedly told CBI that accounts might have been opened in the name of Sheena (by Indrani) in HSBC and other banks in Hong Kong and Singapore.
(Reopens DEL 60)
During its arguments, the CBI drew a parallel between former media baron Peter and mob boss Dawood Ibrahim.
Special public prosecutors Bharat Badami and Kavita Patil told the court the defence while arguing for Peter's bail has been saying that the latter was not in India at the time of Sheena's murder and was not involved in conspiracy.

"... But so is Dawood. He is also not present in India when so many blasts took place in the city," Badami told the court.
Prosecution will continue its arguments tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Peter's lawyer Aabad Ponda concluded his arguments seeking bail, saying his client is not guilty of murder.
"At the most CBI can charge Peter for being an incapable husband and for not controlling his wife (Indrani)," Ponda told the court.
"Is CBI expecting Peter to lose 21 kg like former Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal (an accused in a money laundering case who was recently discharged from hospital). Am I not supposed to see the sunlight. It's a classic example that on mere imaginary circumstances Peter has been put behind bars," he said.