Bombay High Court Green Light to Netflix India's Docuseries on Sheena Bora Murder

Netflix India’s docuseries The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth was released yesterday after postponing the initial release date.
The Bombay High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking to halt the release of the docuseries.

The series, which focuses on the high-profile Sheena Bora murder case, features Indrani Mukerjea, the primary accused, along with other witnesses.

CBI expressed concerns that the release of the docuseries could potentially bias public opinion and affect the ongoing trial. However, during the hearing on Thursday, Justice Dere challenged this notion, stating, "After seeing the docuseries, we don't know how it prejudices CBI”.

A Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande personally viewed the documentary series and found no significant prejudicial content that could impact the trial. The court rejected the CBI's application, emphasising that public perception was of minimal concern.

The Bench highlighted that much of what Indrani Mukerjea conveyed in the series was already accessible in the public domain. Additionally, the court noted that previous books and films had covered the story extensively. "Whatever she [Indrani] has said [in the series], everything is in the public domain. Honestly, we have not found anything that goes against the prosecution," the Bench said.

Furthermore, the court emphasised the presumption of innocence, stating, "You cannot presume the accused to be guilty".
The decision to dismiss the petition reaffirms the court's stance on the matter, indicating that the docuseries does not pose a significant threat to the ongoing legal proceedings.

The Sheena Bora murder case unfolded in 2015 when Shyamwar Rai, a former driver for prominent media personalities Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, confessed during police interrogation to his involvement in Bora's murder.
Rai's revelation implicated Indrani and her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna in the crime, alleging that they conspired to kill Bora due to her romantic involvement with Peter's son Rahul.

Despite Indrani vehemently denying the allegations and even claiming that Bora is alive and well abroad, all three individuals, along with Peter, who was later arrested by the CBI, are currently facing trial in a Mumbai special court.

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