On Friday, a Mumbai special court refused to allow Mukerjea to spend two weeks in Spain and the UK, again because she could run away as the Sheena Bora trial gets close to being finished. This decision highlights how the end of the case is approaching and makes it harder for Mukerjea to get to money she has overseas.
Why the court said no
Judge J P Darekar said the prosecutors’ worry about her escaping is legitimate. Mukerjea is a UK citizen and owns buildings and land in the UK and Spain, and the trial is nearly over with only a few witnesses remaining.
The court also pointed out things that didn’t make sense in Mukerjea’s story. She said she was in financial trouble, yet she put 200,000 Rupees into the court as part of her request, which goes against her saying she can’t support herself.
The court said that Mukerjea hadn’t shown anything to prove that she had to go to a foreign country right now, or that the reasons were something she couldn’t avoid. So her request was rejected.
The court flagged these factors:
– UK nationality and properties in the UK and Spain
– Trial at the fag end with few witnesses
– Deposit of Rs 2 lakh despite financial distress claims
– No proof of urgent, unavoidable need to travel
– Lack of appointment confirmations from foreign authorities
What Mukerjea argued
Mukerjea wanted her passport back temporarily and permission to travel because her bank accounts in the UK and Spain haven’t been used since 2015, and she’s in a difficult financial position. She said she would need to be physically present to prove who she is (biometric verification) and get the accounts working again.
She also needed to change her will that’s registered in Malaga. She wanted to remove her ex-husband, Peter Mukerjea, as someone who would receive anything from it after their divorce. She said she can’t get a job with the daily court hearings and called the situation an emergency, explaining that she needed to visit her properties abroad.
CBI’s stance and the court’s evaluation
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) disagreed with her request, saying it was poorly thought out and without merit. The CBI said Mukerjea didn’t provide a truly important or unavoidable reason to travel immediately, especially now the case is almost done.
The CBI also found holes in Mukerjea’s explanation. They said that the Spanish and British embassies had previously said they’d offer help (as ordered by a higher court), but Mukerjea hadn’t shown what she’d done in India since 2024 to take advantage of that. She didn’t have any proof of appointments or contact with banks or officials in the UK or Spain to show how urgent her need to travel was.
Previous attempts to travel
In July 2024, a CBI court did say Mukerjea could travel for ten days, but the Bombay High Court stopped this and later completely cancelled the permission, because the trial was still going on. And on February 12 of last year, the Supreme Court refused her request to travel, saying there was no way to be sure she’d come back and told the trial court to speed up the case.
The Supreme Court refused another travel request last month and told Mukerjea to ask the special CBI court, which was told to make a decision within four weeks. This Friday’s rejection is just the latest in a line of times she’s been prevented from going abroad while she’s on bail.
Where the Sheena Bora trial heads next
Because the court says there are only a few witnesses left, the case is moving towards its end. The CBI said they haven’t slowed the case down and have been very careful throughout the trial.
This ruling doesn’t change whether Mukerjea is allowed bail, but it does mean she can’t go to another country while witnesses are still giving evidence. The CBI says that any help with money or legal issues in other countries can go through the proper official routes, as has been directed previously.
The court’s decision was also based on the fact that there wasn’t enough paperwork. They said Mukerjea hadn’t given them letters or emails to confirm appointments at banks or government buildings in the UK or Spain. The CBI added that someone with power of attorney (someone authorized to act for her) already exists, so she might not actually need to be there for some things.
The case at a glance
The Sheena Bora case came to light in 2015 when Shyamvar Rai, the driver, was arrested for a separate crime involving weapons and supposedly told investigators details of the case. The CBI says Bora, who was 24, was strangled in a car in April 2012 and her body burned in a forest in Raigad.
Mukerjea was arrested in August 2015 and the Supreme Court gave her bail in May 2022. Peter Mukerjea, her former husband and a former media executive, and Sanjeev Khanna were also arrested and are currently on trial.
On Friday, the court specifically said that how far along the case is is a major reason for not letting Mukerjea travel overseas. They said the CBI’s fears about her escaping can’t be ignored, especially because she has British citizenship and possessions in other countries.
So, for Mukerjea, it’s very clear: without proof of an urgent situation or evidence of what she’s done with authorities in India since 2024, she won’t be able to deal with her financial and legal problems abroad. The court believes she’s a flight risk.
This decision also shows that it will become harder to get permission to travel while on bail as a major criminal trial gets to the end. With only a few witnesses to go, the court is now focusing on the evidence that’s already been presented and the remaining evidence from witnesses.
