New Delhi, April 24
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a fresh request by Indrani Mukerjea to travel abroad, directing her instead to approach the trial court where her case is ongoing. A bench led by Justice M M Sundresh said its earlier order had already made clear that any such plea should be decided at the lower court level. The judges added that if Mukerjea files a new application, the trial court should consider it within four weeks, citing urgency.
Her lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani argued that the previous request had not been assessed on its merits and that circumstances now required swift consideration. However, the court maintained that its role was limited, reiterating that the matter belongs before the trial judge. Mukerjea, a former media executive, is on bail in connection with the killing of her daughter Sheena Bora — a case that has drawn national attention for over a decade.
In 2024, a lower court briefly allowed her to travel to Spain and the United Kingdom, but that decision was later overturned by the Bombay High Court after an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Supreme Court subsequently backed that ruling, noting concerns about whether she would return to India. The trial, now at an advanced stage, has been directed to conclude swiftly. Mukerjea has consistently denied all allegations.
Prosecutors say Bora, 24, was killed in 2012 and her body disposed of in a forest in Maharashtra. The case came to light years later following a separate police investigation involving one of the co-accused.
