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Tag: Sanjeev Khanna

  • Sheena Bora murder case involving Indrani Mukerjea gets murkier

    Sheena Bora murder case involving Indrani Mukerjea gets murkier

    MUMBAI: The recent developments in the Sheena Bora murder mystery seem nothing short of twists out of James Patterson’s crime thriller novels. If the media and entertainment industry was shocked by the alleged involvement of media honcho and ex-Star TV CEO Peter Mukerjea’s wife Indrani Mukerjea in her sister’s murder, Wednesday’s revelations have left them speechless.

     

    The day was marked by media reports revealing that a close family friend of the accused had claimed that the victim Sheena Bora was indeed Indrani’s daughter from a previous marriage.

     

    While the allegation could not be verified then with Indrani’s legal representatives, Sheena’s brother, Mikhail Bora, who works in an airline and was brought up with the victim in Guwahati by their grandparents, confirmed it to the media. “My sister was killed, I have no doubt about that. I had no clue when Sheena died. Whenever I checked, Indrani always claimed Sheena is abroad and busy with her studies,” he told ANI.

     

    He also shared that Sheena and Indrani didn’t have a pleasant relationship and hinted that he would disclose the real motive behind the murder if Indrani doesn’t confess. “If Indrani Mukerjea doesn’t admit to her crime, I will tell police the exact reason for the murder and provide evidence,” he said, dismissing property dispute as a motive. “Since last September, we are not getting any financial help from Indrani.”

     

    With a storm like this brewing and the mystery getting murkier, when the media turned to Peter Mukerjea for answers, he claimed that he had no knowledge that Indrani was Sheena’s mother. In fact, his understanding was that Mikhail Bora was also Indrani’s brother. “I am in a state of complete shock,” he said in an interview with Times Now. “I knew Sheena Bora as my wife’s sister for the last 15 years of my marriage and now I am being told that she was her daughter and possibly the person I thought as her brother is actually her son from another marriage,” he added.

     

    Peter also revealed that while in a relationship with Sheena, his younger son from an earlier marriage, Rahul Mukerjea, had once mentioned that Sheena was Indrani’s daughter but he had dismissed his son’s claims.

     

    According to Peter, Sheena was sent to the US in 2012 as Indrani disapproved of her relationship with Rahul, and thus he never questioned her constant absence from home.

     

    “I didn’t believe him (Rahul) at that time as Indrani maintained that she was Sheena’s sister. So much so that it caused a rift between me and my son. I haven’t spoken to him in the last three years,” Mukerjea shared with media before being led away to be questioned by the Mumbai police.

     

    Indrani Mukerjea’s first husband Sanjeev Khanna was also arrested by Mumbai Police in connection with the murder case from Kolkata after interrogation. According to media reports Indrani Mukerjea has confessed to the police that Sheena Bora was her daughter.

     

    Each peg in this murder case has so far been unearthed with dramatic effects.

     

    The Mumbai police spokesperson, DCP (detention) Dhananjay Kulkarni, said Indrani had been arrested along with her driver, Rai, this morning by the Khar (a Mumbai suburb)  police.

     

    In the meanwhile, Mumbai Police commissioner Rakesh Maria told reporters that the murder was carried out by strangulation on 24 April, 2012 and the body was then burned and dumped. Maria also confirmed that this act was performed by the three people who have been arrested till now – Indrani Mukerjea, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai.

     

    Sheena’s remains were found by the police in Raigad district, 112km from Mumbai, following which a case of murder was registered against unknown persons in 2012 and her identity was eventually established. 

     

    Further investigations are underway by the police in this shocking case of murder.

  • Delhi HC warns news channels on irresponsible stings

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court warned the news channels in being cautious and circumspect on airing sting operations, and suggested that the I&B Ministry should set up a committee to ferret stings before they are aired.

    The TV news channel Live India which had aired a fake sting operation on a woman school teacher, has been let off after warning and the court clearly admonished the TV news industry for blindly chasing TRPs (television rating point).

    Live India had shown a woman teacher, Uma Khurana, as being involved in a sex racket. This had come for widespread criticism after it transpired that the sting was a fake, and the court said this was an entrapment.

    The Bench comprising Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna said that damage to the reputation of anyone for the interest of channels chasing TRPs must be avoided in the future, without of course going so far as to ban stings.

    The court, while suggesting guidelines, said that every reporter and news channel doing a sting operation should give an undertaking regarding its veracity.

    The court said the editor-in-chief and senior journalists of a TV channel must be more “mature” and “circumspect” while airing sting operations, which must not damage anyone’s reputation.

    “No doubt the media is well within its domain in resorting to investigative journalism to bring us face to face with the ugly underbelly of society,” the Bench said.

    “There is no doubt and there is no second opinion that truth is required to be shown to the public in their interest and the same can be shown whether in the nature of sting operation or otherwise, but we feel that entrapment of any person should not be resorted to and should not be permitted,” the Court said.

    The channel had shown the ‘sting’ on 30 August, which had led to rioting in Central Delhi’s crowded Chandni Chowk area and Khurana had been beaten up by an irate mob. But two days later, Hindustan Times exposed the channel; one reporter and an aspiring lady reporter had faked the ‘sting’.

    The High Court had then taken up the matter suo moto and on Friday, dismissed the case after admonishing the channel, and warning the TV news industry in general.

    Later, Delhi Police had after investigation said that Khurana had not been involved in any form of flesh trade or trafficking in women.

  • Court seeks guidelines on stings, status of Broadcast Bill

    NEW DELHI: Pointing out that it was the responsibility of the Government to act if any television channel concocted a sting operation, the Delhi High Court today sought to know the provisions drawn up in this regard.

    The Court also wanted to know the status of the Broadcasting Bill, on which discussions had been going on for some time. The ministry was asked to file its reply by 17 September. 

    Hearing a public interest litigation by social worker Rahul Verma seeking to regulate sting operations by TV channels, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna noted: “There have been discussions regarding the bill. The Minister (for Information and Broadcasting) has said that the government is bringing the bill. What has come out so far?” 

    Referring to the recent report of the fake sting operation by Live India channel, the court said: “If the sting is concocted, it is your responsibility to take action. Some kind of restriction has to be there. It is not about an individual case but about broader policy.” 

    The court made a reference to the “sting operation” purportedly showing government schoolteacher Uma Khurana as running a prostitution racket, though the police found it to be a fake report. 

    The telecast of the sting by Live India last month triggered mob violence in and around the school in central Delhi where Khurana taught mathematics. She was soon arrested and sacked from the job. However, Khurana was released on bail earlier this week as no evidence was found against her.

    The Centre today informed the Court that the I&B ministry had issued a show cause notice yesterday to ‘Live India’ channel to respond within three days as to why action against it should not be taken for irresponsible reporting in the fake sting operation involving the school teacher. Not satisfied by that reply, the Court asked, ”Under which provision of the law you have issued the show cause notice. If offence is committed, you have to register a case and start criminal proceedings.”

    The Court had in fact taken suo motu notice of the case on 7 September and had issued notice to the Government and the Police. Interestingly, the police has in its reply told the court that it has not given a clean chit to the teacher. The police had arrested reporter Prakash Singh and his associate Rashmi Singh after booking him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy.

    The fake sting reports have come at a time when broadcasters are opposing the ministry’s proposal in the bill to bring in a Content Code to regulate news and current affairs content.

  • Court refuses to bar release of ‘Nishabd’, issues notice

    Court refuses to bar release of ‘Nishabd’, issues notice

    NEW DELHI: Refusing to stay tomorrow’s nationwide release of Nishabd, the Delhi High Court today issued notice to producer Ram Gopal Varma, his company RGV Films and the censor board, on a revision petition by Jahar Kanungo alleging Varma’s Film Factory had violated its intellectual property right to the title.

    A division bench comprising Chief Justice MK Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna fixed 9 April for hearing the case, which was filed challenging the order of Justice AK Sikri earlier this week rejecting the petition by Kanungo Media as time-barred, since the film Nishabd, which stars megastar Amitabh Bachchan with newcomer Jiah Khan, was cleared by the censors in June 2005.

    The film has already been to several international film festivals and has received the best feature film award at Osian’s Cinefan Festival Asian Film in Delhi and the ‘Coup De Coeur Guimet Award’ at Vesoul International Festival of Asian Award.

    Filmmaker Jahar Kanungo claims that he retains the copyright to the title Nishabd and had produced a Bengali film with this title ten years ago.

    Nishabd, directed by Varma, tells the story of a 65-year-old man, infatuated with a girl his daughter’s age. The film also stars south Indian actress Rewati.