In the latest development in high-profile Sheena Bora murder case, judicial custody of key accused Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjiv Khanna and driver Shyam Rai has been extended till October 31.

Meanwhile, the CBI searched out nine locations in five cities in connection with the case.

The CBI carried out searches at nine locations including at the premises of former media magnet Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani, Mikhail Bora’s residence in Guwahati, houses of driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai in Mumbai and Chindwara, Madhya Pradesh and the residence of Sanjeev Khanna in Kolkata.

25-year-old Sheena, Indrani’s daughter from her first marriage, was murdered on 24 April, 2012, and her body was burnt and disposed off in a forest in Raigad district in Maharashtra the next day.

The agency has filed the case under various sections of Indian Penal Code including criminal conspiracy, murder, abduction, destruction of evidence, causing hurt by giving poison and Arms Act.

CBI took over the investigation of the case which was earlier probed by Mumbai Police on the allegations that the accused persons–Indrani, Khanna and Rai–hatched a criminal conspiracy to murder Sheena.

In pursuance of this conspiracy, the accused allegedly abducted Sheena, murdered her and disposed off her body, agency spokesperson had said in a statement.

The decision to handover the probe to CBI came after days of uncertainty on the supervisory role of former Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria, who was shunted out in the midst of the inquiry that he had helmed proactively.

The decision was taken by the state government after Maharashtra Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal submitted a status report on the case which had concluded that the case is not limited to murder alone, but there are many questions on financial dealings that remain unanswered.

Entry of women in close proximity of grave of a male Muslim saint is a grievous sin in Islam, the trustees of the iconic Haji Ali Dargah told the Bombay High Court on Monday.

Hearing a petition, the HC had earlier asked the trustees of the Dargah, which houses the tomb of the 15th century Sufi saint Haji Ali, to reconsider its rules which bar women’s entry into the ‘sanctum sanctorum’.

The trust gave a letter today to a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade in which it stated that a meeting had been convened recently in this regard in keeping with the HC order, and it had been again unanimously decided by the trustees not to allow women in the sanctum sanctorum.

“The trustees are unanimous on the point that entry of women in close proximity of a grave of male Muslim saint is a grievous sin as per Islam and as such governed by Constitution law and particularly Article 26 of the Constitution, which confers upon the Trust a fundamental right to manage its own affairs of religion and as such interference is uncalled for by any third agency,” the letter read.

“The existing arrangement for women provides a secure place to them. This has been decided in the interest of safety and security of the women close to the inner sanctum sanctorum of the tomb as possible, considering that the arrangement has been welcomed by women pilgrims,” the letter further said.

The letter was taken on record and the matter posted for hearing on November 17.

Hearing a petition which challenges entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine, the court had earlier said, “If the issue is not resolved by the management amicably, then we would hear all the sides and give a decision on merits.”

The HC had also ruled that the petition, filed by two women, was ‘maintainable’ and admitted it for hearing.

The Trust, which manages the shrine, argued that the bar on entry is meant to protect women from “uncomfortable situations” and is restricted only to the sanctum sanctorum.

The petitioners claim that gender justice is inherent in Quran and the norm at the Dargah contravenes the Hadiths, which say that women are not prohibited from visiting tombs.

The restriction emanates from “a very conservative and extremist Salafi ideology” and in future “there may be an order banning the entry of women in the Dargah complex and banning the non-Muslims wholly,” the petition argued.

Raju Moray, the petitioners’ lawyer, argued that at other Dargahs or shrines women are not banned. Women can enter the sanctum sanctorum at the historic Makhdoom Shah Dargah in suburban Mahim, he pointed out.

Shiv Sena once again raked up the contentious issue of Jaitapur nuclear plant saying the project was “bound to be scrapped” and the party will continue to oppose it as long as locals do.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse, however, cautioned the alliance partner to draw a line when it comes to protesting.

Sena has been opposing the 10,000 MW nuclear power plant project at Jaitapur in coastal Ratnagiri district, to be set up by the French firm Areva, while BJP-led governments in the state and the Centre support the project.

It also figured in the pacts signed during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France.

“Nothing will happen as far as the Jaitapur project is concerned and the plant will finally be shut down. It has been seen several times that others mock us in the beginning but finally toe our line. Same would be the case here,” Sena leader and Maharashtra industries minister Subhash Desai said.

Desai also took a swipe at the BJP; saying of the five changes Sena had suggested in the controversial land acquisition bill, the Centre had to accept three. “If the BJP had listened to us when we first protested against the bill, it would not have to bear so much humiliation.”

He said the Sena would continue to oppose the Jaitapur project as long as the local did. “Fishermen are operating there for so many years. Everything will close down. While setting up Tarapur Atomic Power station, the government had assured that there would be no impact on people’s livelihood, but later they banned fishing within 10 km radius,” he said.

Reacting to Desai’s statements, Khadse said, the party should not waste time opposing development projects.

“Whenever, development work is to be done, sacrifices have to be made….Wasting time on protesting development work is uncalled for. On one hand they say stop load-shedding and on the other hand they are opposing a power plant,” said Khadse.

“The Sena should understand where to draw the line and stop protesting,” he said.