Had advised Peter Mukerjea not to talk to media: Jethmalani

Noted lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani on Saturday said that he had asked Peter Mukerjea, arrested in Sheena Bora murder case, not to talk to the media about the case but the former media magnate's interview to a news channel prior to this "advice" had already started the "media trial".

Jethmalani, who represents Peter Mukerjea in court in the murder case, while taking part in the panel discussion on 'Anatomy of an Investigation -- The Art and Science of Forensics' in Times LitFest here, decried the "increasing tendency" of the media to conduct trials in sensational cases even before the judicial process takes off.

"This is why I had advised Peter not to talk to the press or give any interview to the media. But Even before my advice, he had given an interview to a news channel, that turned out like a trial for him even before the actual trial started," Jethmalani said.

Peter, 59, husband of Indrani, was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the Sheena Bora murder case. While Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamvar Rai were chargesheeted after their arrest in the case in August this year, Peter, arrested on November 19, is in judicial custody till December 14.

Asked about whether the judiciary should believe in investigative reports by reporters of reputed media houses, Jethmalani said, "It is absolutely fine for the investigative journalists to alert about scams, suppressed murders and concealed crimes but it is not proper for media to start promoting evidences and commenting on it before the trial begins in court."