'Indrani's accusations desperate attempt to wriggle out': Peter Mukerjea

Former media baron Peter Mukerjea todaytold a CBI trial court in Mumbai that his wife and co-accused Indrani Mukerjea's allegation that he might have abducted her daughter Sheena out of "greed and ill-will" was false and defamatory.

The former media baron said Indrani's was a "desperate attempt by her to wriggle out of the situation thereby trying to play the victim card".

The allegations were "wanton and baseless" and "based on the figment of Indrani's imagination", the reply said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"The application by Indrani is with an ulterior motive to malign the reputation and cause serious prejudice (against Peter Mukerjea)," he said in the reply filed today.

The CBI also called Indrani Mukerjea's application mala-fide and filed with dishonest intentions, PTI reported.

Indrani and Peter Mukerjea are co-accused in the sensational 2012 murder of Sheena Bora, Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship.

On November 15, Indrani Mukerjea filed an application demanding that Peter Mukerjea's call data records (CDR) be disclosed, and also alleged that he may have played a role in Sheena Bora's disappearance and framed up Indrani. She alleged Peter might have caused her daughter's disappearance out of "greed and ill-will".

The CBI said that Indrani Mukerjea had made all the efforts, after abduction and killing of Sheena, to destroy the evidence.

There was sufficient evidence "to prove the allegations against her and other accused including the role played by each accused in commission of the offence", it said.

Indrani Mukerjea filed the application to "divert/twist the attention and concentration of approver Shyamwar Rai" (the couple's former driver) whose cross-examination is now "at a crucial stage", the agency said.

The court would hear the arguments on December 5.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)