The trial in the Sheena Bora murder case will now proceed on a daily basis with effect from March 10, 2025, after a break of nearly four months, which is caused by the transfer of Special CBI Judge S.P. Naik Nimbalkar. The new judge, J.P. Darekar, has assured both the parties that the court would run quick according to the directives of the Bombay High Court.
In 2012, Sheena Bora was murdered. Allegations claim that her mother, Indrani Mukerjea, along with her ex-husband, Sanjeev Khanna, strangled her in a vehicle before burning her corpse in Raigad. The killing became known in 2015 when Rai confessed to the police. Indrani, Sanjeev, and Indrani's former husband, Peter Mukerjea, have been arrested and are currently out on bail. Although the trial started in 2017, it has repeatedly faced delays, with over 90 witnesses already testifying in court status-wise.
The court has rejected Indrani's plea to travel to Europe while allowing her to reapply if the trial is not completed in a year's time. The SC has also directed the prosecution to prepare its list of witnesses to expedite the trial. The court's directive allowing for day-to-day hearings is expected to speed up the trial, which is now inching toward the verdict the parties have so long awaited.
