Explaining Sheena Bora Murder Case And Why Indrani Mukerjea Netflix Series Is Facing Backlash
In this article, we will try to explain the entire Sheena Bora murder case, and why the newly-released true-crime docu-series 'The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth' is facing backlash.
It is fair to say that Netflix has a love-hate relationship with true-crime docu-series. Every month, the streaming giant comes out with a new true-crime drama series, that manages to capture the viewers' imagination. In the past, Netflix has come out with true-crime docu-series such as 'The Hunt For Veerappan', 'House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths', 'Curry And Cyanide', and 'Indian Predator: Murder in a Courtroom', among others.
Recently, 'The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth' premiered on Netflix. Much like the case, the Netflix series also ran into trouble. Initially, the show was slated to premiere on February 23, but the Bombay High Court stalled the release after a request by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
However, the series is now finally out on the streaming platform, and it is fair to say that several viewers are not pleased with the four-part series, and how the streaming giant has decided to showcase the entire sequence of events. In this article, we will first talk about what exactly happened in the case, and why the Netflix series is drawing backlash.
Explaining The Entire Sequence Of Events
When news broke that Sheena Bora had been found dead, the entire episode sent shockwaves throughout India. As soon as the case started to unravel, the country's attention was grabbed by the case's layers and how the episode featured a tale of betrayal and a convoluted web of lies. At the centre of this mind-boggling and chilling saga was Indrani Mukerjea, a former media executive. However, she is not the only one involved in this case, which can even put 'Game of Thrones' to shame. We will now talk about all the parties that are involved in this ongoing case.
When the news surfaced, it was being said that Sheena Bora is the sister of Indrani Mukerjea, however, days later, it came to light that Sheena is the daughter of Indrani, and this just blew everyone's minds.
People involved in this case:
Indrani Mukerjea: A prominent figure in the Indian media industry, Indrani was the CEO of INX Media and the wife of media tycoon Peter Mukerjea. She presented herself as a successful and sophisticated businesswoman, however, days later, her complicated personal life went through a media trial, and her entire life was put in front of the camera.
Sheena Bora: Indrani's daughter from a previous relationship, Sheena was a young woman with dreams of making it big in the world. However, her aspirations were cut short brutally and shockingly.
Peter Mukerjea: A veteran media executive, Peter was married to Indrani and initially unaware of the sinister plot unfolding within his own family.
The roots of the Sheena Bora murder case can be traced back to 2012 when Sheena, then 24 years old, mysteriously disappeared. Initially, her absence was explained as her moving to the United States for higher studies. However, suspicions began to arise when no concrete evidence of her whereabouts surfaced. It wasn't until 2015 that the truth began to emerge. In August of that year, Mumbai Police arrested Indrani Mukerjea, along with her driver Shyamvar Rai, on charges of murdering Sheena Bora.
The arrest then sent shockwaves through the country, as the details of the case unfolded, revealing a twisted tale of deception, greed, and familial betrayal. After this, media trial was on display, and everyday news channels would play phone recordings to show how Indrani was at the centre of the crime.
As investigators dug deeper into the case, a chilling motive began to emerge. It was alleged that Indrani orchestrated Sheena's murder out of a desire to protect her image and social standing. She reportedly saw Sheena as a threat to her marriage with Peter and feared that Sheena's existence would tarnish her reputation in society.
As per several reports, it has been alleged that the execution of Sheena Bora's murder was planned and carried out by Indrani Mukerjea, with the assistance of her driver Shyamvar Rai, and former husband Sanjeev Khanna.
The same reports state that Sheena was lured into a car under false circumstances and then strangled to death by Indrani herself. Her body was then disposed of in a remote forest area, where it remained hidden for years.
Following Sheena's murder, Indrani Mukerjea continued to maintain that Sheena was alive and well, even going so far as to impersonate her through emails and phone calls.
Now, we will explain the entire timeline of the case. As per Hindustan Times, the timeline is as follows.
April 24, 2012: Indrani Mukerjea's daughter Sheena Bora takes leave from her job. At that time, reports stated that she resigned but her family claims that she went abroad for further studies and hence no missing complaint was filed.
May 23, 2012: A month later, police discover Sheena Bora's body in Maharashtra's Raigad district.
August 2015: Three years later after Sheena Bora goes missing, Indrani Mukerjea is arrested on charges of murdering her daughter. Indrani Mukerjea's ex-husband, Sanjeev Khanna, was also arrested in Kolkata a day later.
August 2015: After these two arrests, Indrani Mukerjea's driver Shyam Rai is also arrested. A few days later, all three are taken to the crime scene for recreation. During the investigation, the driver confesses to having murdered Sheena Bora. He also said that he dumped the body of Sheena Bora. He also tells the police that Indrani Mukerjea and Sanjeev Khanna were also involved.
September 2015: Siddhartha Das - Indrani Mukerjea's former partner - claims to be Sheena Bora's biological father. After this chain of events, the case is eventually transferred to the CBI. Days later, the central agency lodges an FIR against Indrani Mukerjea, Sanjeev Khanna, and Shyam Rai.
November 2015: The CBI also arrests Peter Mukerjea.
2016: CBI then files a chargesheet against Indrani Mukerjea and the driver. Later, Peter Mukerjea is also named in the chargesheet. As per the CBI, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea were equal participants in the conspiracy to murder Sheena Bora as both of them were against her relationship with Rahul (Peter's son).
January-February 2017: The trial finally begins. A special CBI court ends up charging Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, and Sanjeev Khanna with "conspiracy, kidnapping, destroying evidence and giving false information, in addition to the murder of Sheena Bora".
October 2019: As the case goes on, Indrani and Peter Mukerjea decide to call off their relationship and they are granted divorce by a Mumbai family court.
March 2020: Peter Mukerjea is granted bail by a special CBI court.
July 2021: Indrani Mukerjea's bail plea is rejected by the special CBI court.
August 2021: The CBI closes further investigation into the murder case.
February 10, 2022: Indrani Mukerjea files a bail plea with the Supreme Court.
February 18, 2022: The Supreme Court then seeks a response from the CBI and the Maharashtra government on yet another bail plea by Indrani Mukerjea.
March 25, 2022: CBI then opposes Indrani Mukerjea's Supreme Court bail plea citing her "heinous act".
May 18, 2022: The Supreme Court finally grants bail to Indrani Mukerjea, saying she has already spent six-and-a-half years in custody.
Why Netflix Series Is Facing Backlash
Having seen the reaction to the four-part docu-series on the internet, it is fair to say, that this Netflix show has rubbed many the wrong way. Firstly, several users are asking how can the makers create a show about a case that is still being investigated by the CBI. Before writing this article, we also saw the show; some things are jarring. The major point with the show is that it wants to deal with conspiracy theories rather than telling us all versions of the story, and what exactly happened.
You can argue that the series documents interviews with cops, journalists, commentators as well as key family members from both sides: Indrani's daughter Vidhie and Sheena's brother Mekhail, however, you cannot deny that the series gives a major platform to Indrani to make a case for herself. It is important to mention that there are four people accused in the entire case, and apart from Indrani, the other three declined to participate in the series.
In the series, more time is given to Indrani to paint herself as a victim as she recounts her alleged horrific childhood. At all times, it feels like the series wants to create a sad picture for Indrani, who has been wronged by everyone, including Peter Mukerjea. At one point, Indrani says, "You should not have sympathy for Sheena Bora, you should have sympathy for me." To date, Indrani Mukerjea maintains that Sheena Bora is alive, and hiding somewhere.
At no point, does it look like the makers are trying to put the truth out and give the viewers an idea of what exactly happened? The entire four-part series comes off as a PR exercise, which wants to clean the image of a former media baron, Indrani Mukerjea.
Over the weekend, we suggest that you give the docu-series some time. If you decide to watch it, please let us know in the comments section below, whether the series was able to give you an idea of what happened, or did you also feel that the entire series was just a PR exercise? Thanks for reading, happy weekend.
