The sensational Sheena Bora murder case has taken yet another turn with the Mumbai police seizing a suitcase that was purportedly meant for packing the body of her brother, Mikhail whom Indrani Mukherjea had allegedly planned to kill, even as key accused Sanjeev Khanna and the driver were taken to spot to re-create the crime scene.
Officials were tightlipped about the progress in the probe amidst reports that Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna had been making contradictory claims about who killed her daughter Sheena three years ago.
The new twist in the probe came when Sheena's brother Mikhail claimed that their mother Indrani had planned to kill him also on April 23, 2012, when she had given him a spiked drink.
The same day Sheena was allegedly killed by Indrani and Khanna in a car with the help of the driver Shyam Rai. The three had carried the body and disposed it in Pen tehsil in Raigad district the next day.
The seizure of the suitcase from residential premises of Indrani and Peter Mukerjea in Mumbai's Worli area apparently lends credence to Mikail's claim about his mother's plan to kill him and pack his body parts but there was no police confirmation of this theory.
Police on Sunday brought Sanjeev Khanna to Khar police station and later took him to forest in Pen tehsil, along with Rai.
Indrani, Khanna and Rai will be produced before a local court on Monday where the police are likely to seek extension of their police custody.
During sustained interrogation in Mumbai on Saturday, Indrani and Sanjeev had blamed each other for the crime.
Indrani accused Khanna of committing the murder and dragging her into the crime. However, he said he only assisted Indrani as she had promised to help him financially.
Mikhail was also questioned at a hotel in Bandra on Saturday.
Mikhail had said that just hours before Indrani and Sanjeev met Sheena on April 24, 2012 and took her for what would be the last drive of her life, Indrani allegedly drugged him but he managed to escape from the spot and averted becoming the second murder victim.
There were reports that Indrani had sought help of a psychiatrist to get Mikhail labelled as a mental patient, but there was no independent confirmation from police so far.
Meanwhile, a village official in Raigad district, who helped the team of Mumbai police locate the spot where Sheena Bora was allegedly buried, today said when he first spotted the body in 2012 it was just a skeleton with no flesh.
The blood and hair samples of Indrani and Mikhail Bora have also been collected and sent to the Kalina-based Forensic Science Laboratory. The report is expected in the next couple of days.
Though Sheena, daughter of high-profile media professional Indrani Mukerjea, was murdered in 2012 and the body disposed of in Raigad district, the crime came to light only recently.
J J Hospital had on Friday handed over to Khar Police a few bones it had received from Raigad Police in 2012.
According to Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, who is personally involved in the grilling of the accused, Khanna had confessed to his complicity in the murder.
On Friday, the police also briefly questioned Indrani's husband and former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea.
Police had earlier questioned Rahul Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea's son from another marriage, who allegedly had a relationship with Sheena which Indrani disapproved of.
