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Tag: Sheena Bora

  • Sheena Bora murder case hogs headlines on news channels

    Sheena Bora murder case hogs headlines on news channels

    NEW DELHI: Even as the Sheena Bora murder case dominated prime time coverage on all television news channels consuming one third of the 8 to 10 pm slot, an interesting message was doing the rounds on WhatsApp.

     

    Addressing some prominent anchors and heads of news channels, the message agreed that no one should die the way Bora did, but stressed that such news did not add value to the nation. After highlighting other issues that faced the nation like price rise, corruption, floods or One Rank One Pension (OROP), it ended with the line, “Government is happy that the nation’s attention is diverted as the media is not talking about the real issues.”

     

    That said and done, the fact remains that our sensation-hungry news media, which dishes out more entertainment than some general entertainment channels (GECs) were totally taken over by this one case for over two weeks.

     

    According to a study by CMS Media Lab, English News channels gave more coverage to the murder case compared to Hindi News channels. Sheena Murder Case coverage dispelled the myth that Hindi News channels are more sensational compared to English News channels.

     

    CMS Media Lab analysed 15 days of coverage of six national TV news channels from 25 August to 8 September, 2015. The channels included in the study were Aaj Tak, ABP News, Zee News, DD News, CNN IBN and Times Now.

     

    The channels carried 113 stories and 61 special programs on the Sheena Bora murder case. These six TV channels broadcast 2282 minutes (38 hours) of special programs and stories during this period. Among the monitored news channels, two English News channels – Times Now and CNN IBN – between them contributed 60 per cent of the total coverage minutes.

     

    Times Now, which generally dwells more on political or terrorism-related stories, alone devoted 40 per cent of the total coverage time. The channel topped in the coverage by devoting 948 minutes to the case followed by CNN IBN, which allotted 424 minutes.

     

    Among Hindi News Channels, Aaj Tak led in the coverage by giving 341 minutes, closely followed by ABP News and Zee News. Both Zee and ABP News gave equal importance by showing 268 minutes and 263 minutes of coverage respectively.

     

    Expectedly, DD News gave the least time to the case by allotting only 36 minutes during the entire study period.

     

    The study shows the following: 

     

    Prime Time (8-10 PM) Coverage of Sheena Bora Murder Case

    (25 August – 8 September 2015)

     

    One wonders if private news channels, which dwell hours on each story with endless repetitions, and create debates on stories that do not need any discussion, will learn anything the lessons of the past when channels had to admit they had made mistakes in coverage.

     

    Perhaps the note doing the rounds on social media summed up the general message to the channels very aptly – “Focus on issues that concern us. Do not take us for a ride.”

     

  • Vir Sanghvi takes to YouTube to speak on Indrani Mukerjea & Sheena Bora murder

    Vir Sanghvi takes to YouTube to speak on Indrani Mukerjea & Sheena Bora murder

    MUMBAI: As the Sheena Bora murder mystery involving former INX Media CEO and co-founder Indrani Mukherjea continues to shock the nation with its developments, people are keeping their eyes glued to the news for any update that explains the possible motive behind this chilling murder. After all, the question of the hour remains, “What could lead a mother to killer her own child?” Those who can answer are also closely associated with the case, and hence are either keeping silent, or being kept away from the media by the police.

    Thus, conspiracy theories can hardly be kept at bay and those who knew the now infamous couple are coming up with their own version of why and how things might have chanced.

    One such person is popular journalist and current advisor in Hindustan Times Vir Sanghvi. Sanghvi served as INX Media news business CEO, which was floated by Peter Mukerjea and the accused Indrani Mukerjea.

    Through a short video titled ‘Curious Case of Indrani Mukerjea’ on his YouTube channel – Go Viral with Vir Sanghvi – the veteran journalist has shed light upon the psyche of Indrani Mukerjea with whom he has closely worked.

    In the video, Sanghvi draws parallels between ‘honour killings’ in villages under Khap Panchayat orders, the Arushi murder case which, according to him, still remains a mystery, and the Sheena Bora murder case, which he feels ‘is straight out of Chinatown.’

    Addressing people who have been asking him if Indrani seemed like a murderer to him, he says ‘No’ as there is hardly a way to tell a cold blooded murderer from their face. “But she did seem deranged,” he continues, “Indrani was a fantasist and the line between reality and what was in her head was blurred. I think that kind of person eventually becomes amoral,” adding with a hint that Indrani was money-minded to the core.

    He concludes the video by sharing how this incident has shaken him and how he won’t be able to look at other high profile personalities in the same way.

    Here’s a link to the video:

     

  • 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.