Sheena Bora Case: Supreme Court tells Indrani Mukherji To File Application Before Traveling Abroad
Supreme Court directs Indrani Mukerjea to approach trial court for permission to travel abroad in Sheena Bora case
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea by Indrani Mukerjea seeking permission to travel abroad in connection with the high-profile Sheena Bora murder case, directing her to approach the trial court instead.
The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N.K. Singh clarified that its earlier order had merely enabled the petitioner to seek relief before the trial court and was not intended as a forum for adjudicating the request on merits.
“We only said go before the trial court,” the Bench observed during the hearing.
Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Mukerjea, submitted that the application had not yet been considered on merits and sought to explain the urgency behind the request. He argued that the petitioner’s plea required consideration beyond procedural directions.
However, the Court remained firm, reiterating that it would not examine the merits of the application at this stage.
Disposing of the plea, the Court passed an order granting liberty to Mukerjea to file an appropriate application before the trial court. “Our order is intended only to enable the petitioner to file an application before the trial court, and not before us,” the Bench recorded.
Taking note of the urgency flagged by the petitioner, the Court directed that if such an application is filed, the trial court should decide it expeditiously, preferably within four weeks.
“In view of the above, we grant liberty to the petitioner to file an application before the trial court, which, if filed, shall be decided in accordance with our order. Considering the urgency, the application may be disposed of within four weeks,” the Court ordered.
Mukerjea, one of the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, had approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to travel abroad. The case, which dates back to 2012, involves allegations surrounding the murder of her daughter, Sheena Bora, and has remained one of India’s most closely followed criminal trials.
The present proceedings before the Supreme Court were limited to procedural clarification regarding the appropriate forum for seeking travel permission, with the Court making it clear that such relief must first be sought before the trial court.
Earlier, this month, the Court had granted two weeks’ time to the respondent; CBI to file its reply in the plea.
In a related news, in March the Court had allowed a nine-month extension for the completion of the trial in the Sheena Bora murder case. A letter was received by the Supreme Court from the Special Judge, CBI, City Civil & Sessions Court, Greater Bombay seeking extension of time to conclude the trial. "Considering the prayer made, the time to conclude the trial stands extended by 9 months while making it clear that no further prayer seeking extension of time will be entertained," a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh had ordered.
The Bench had also granted liberty to Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the case and mother of the deceased Sheena Bora, to file a fresh application seeking permission to travel abroad. "Liberty is granted to the accused person to file a fresh application seeking permission to travel abroad as mentioned in order dated 12.02.2025," the order read.
Indrani Mukerjea was arrested in 2015 on allegations of murdering her daughter, Sheena Bora, with the assistance of her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, present husband Peter Mukerjea, and driver Shyamvar Rai.
In 2021, the high court rejected Indrani’s bail plea, but she was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2022.
Mukherjea had filed this SLP challenging the order passed by Bombay High Court in November 2021 which had dismissed her application for bail. She has been charged for committing murder of her daughter after entering into criminal conspiracy to kidnap and kill her. Her husband Peter Mukherjee is a co-accused in the case. The allegation against Mukherjea is that she murdered her daughter Sheena Bora in view of Bora’s live-in relationship with Rahul Mukherjee, the son of her husband Peter Mukherjee from his earlier marriage.
Case Title: Indrani Mukerjea v. Central Bureau of Investigation
Bench: Justices M.M. Sundresh and N.K. Singh
Hearing Date: April 24, 2026