Assam's Sheena Bora murder case: Missing skeletal remains traced, says CBI

Human bones linked to the 2015 Sheena Bora murder case, which were reported missing from the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) storeroom in Mumbai, have been found. The CBI informed the special CBI court on Wednesday (July 11) that the skeletal remains, previously declared untraceable, had resurfaced.

The revelation came during the ongoing trial when forensic expert Dr Zeba Khan was present for questioning. 

Last month, Public Prosecutor CJ Nandode had stated that the bones could not be located. However, before Dr Khan could testify, Special CBI Judge SP Naik Nimbalkar brought up an email and hard copy received from someone claiming to be Khan's brother. 

The complaint alleged that Khan had amassed significant wealth and properties abroad, suggesting her collusion with the accused in the case, which might explain the disappearance of the evidence.

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Judge Nimbalkar deemed the allegations serious and suggested an investigation. 

Defense lawyers Ranjeet Sangle, Manjula Rao, and Shreyansh Mithare, representing accused Indrani Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea, and Sanjeev Khanna, respectively, supported this call for investigation.

Despite the serious allegations, Nandode requested time to get instructions and later returned to court, confirming the bones were in the CBI storeroom but added that the CBI no longer intended to rely on them as evidence. He urged that the cross-examination of Dr Khan proceed without delay.

The defense insisted the bones be presented in court, but the judge ruled this unnecessary since the CBI had opted not to use them. Cross-examination of Dr. Khan was completed by the end of the day, but the defense reiterated their demand for an investigation into the allegations against Khan, highlighting their significance to the accused.

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Judge Nimbalkar stated that a formal decision regarding the investigation would be issued on Thursday.

The CBI's case posits that Sheena Bora was murdered in 2012 by her mother, Indrani Mukerjea, with the help of her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamwar Rai. 

The body was allegedly transported to Pen village and incinerated. Peter Mukerjea is accused of being part of the conspiracy. The skeletal remains, discovered by Pen police in 2012, were sent to JJ Hospital for examination. 

The case remained unsolved until Rai's arrest in 2015, which led to the uncovering of the alleged murder, with Rai subsequently becoming an approver.