The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Indrani Mukerjea, accused and in jail for over six years in the Sheena Bora murder case.
A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, without commenting on the merits of the case against her, noted that she had been incarcerated for 6.5 years and there seemed to be no early completion of trial.
“Even if 50% of the witnesses are given up by prosecution, the trial would not be over soon. She is granted bail. She will be released on bail subject to satisfaction of trial court,” the Bench ordered.
The conditions of her bail would be similar to those of Peter Mukerjea, the co-accused in the case and out in bail since 2020.
The Bench remarked that 6.5 years in jail without any chance of the trial ending soon was too long a time.
The court had earlier issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Maharashtra on her bail application.
Ms. Mukerjea was denied bail by the Bombay High Court in November last year. She is lodged at Byculla prison in Mumbai. She was arrested in August 2015 and denied bail multiple times by the special court trying her case. The lower courts had expressed apprehensions about the possibility that she would influence witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for Ms. Mukerjea, had argued that the trial court had several more witnesses to be examined, and at this rate, proceedings would drag on for another decade.
Mr. Rohatgi submitted that the trial court had been without a presiding officer since June last year. The senior lawyer said Ms. Mukerjea was unwell.
Sheena Bora was allegedly killed in 2012.
