Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was found in a “semi-conscious” state on Friday and was diagnosed with drug overdose of anti-depressant pills after a ‘basic-level provisional diagnosis’ by the J J Hospital authorities. As looking after the health of the jail inmates is the responsibility of the state government, here the question arises that despite the strict supervision of the Byculla Jail authorities for the medication of prisoners, how was it possible for Indrani to take an overdose of pills in the jail!
Criminal lawyer and NCP leader Majeed Memon expressed that it is difficult to analyse the current situation and he isn’t sure yet whether she is trying to commit suicide or she is given an excessive dose of medicines intentionally!
He further added, “I need to see the factual aspects of the consumption of medicine that whether she had over-consumed the drugs by herself or it was done by someone else. It is nothing but the negligence of the prison authorities.”
Indrani Mukerjea was admitted to the J J Hospital at around 11.15 pm on April 6 from the Byculla Jail in south Mumbai. According to the medical reports on Monday, her condition has improved but she was brought to the hospital in a critical and delirious condition. After an episode of the drug overdose of anti-depressant Benzodiazepine on October 2, 2015, doctors had instructed the jail authorities to give her medicines under strict supervision. Such incident has not occurred for the first time in her case. Is this raising doubts that if she is being victimised for being the sole keeper of the frauds’ proofs! Does it possess a life threat even in jail despite of high security and officials being present?
BJP spokesperson Avadhut Wagh said, “It is the responsibility of the jail authorities to take care of any prisoner. There is a need to safeguard Indrani particularly considering her case is a high-profile one, as it might reveal more scandals and big names involved. I don’t think there is any murder conspiracy behind it and more investigation is needed.”
It comes across as this former INX media CEO, is the key witness in the wrongdoings of the former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram, where Mukerjea and Karti Chidambaram had struck a deal of approximately Rs 4.50 crore for irregularities faced in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 300 crore to INX Media in 2007. Later, in 2015 Mukherjea was arrested for the Sheena Bora’s murder held in 2012. During an interrogation taken place in 2016 after an FIR had been filed by the CBI against INX media, Indrani claimed of paying around Rs 5 crores to the Karti’s firm to skip through a tax investigation.
Congress spokesperson Raju Waghmare expressed, “It is questionable that despite a strict supervision of the jail authorities, she was given an overdose of drugs. The bribe allegation on Karti Chidambaram is a false case. However, more investigation should take place and the guilty should be punished.”
Since the Sheena Bora murder case has marred in the public’s eye, it has left no stones unturned in twisting all the controversial aspects of the Mukerjeas and the Indian politics. Now, a detailed inquiry has been ordered further about the exact cause of her illness by the Additional Director General of Police, Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay.
Dr Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay, Additional Director General of Police said, “As per doctor’s report regarding the overdose of medicines, we feel the need to investigate on the same. Hence, we have appointed Inspector General (IG), Prisons, Rajwardhan for the further inquiry. Since the investigation is going on we would not like to comment on any other details regarding the case.”
The Sheena Bora’s murder which took place in 2012, came into the limelight in 2015; since then all the accused of the murder case are undergoing trial. When the police officials claim to have all the proof against the accused, why is there a delay for the conclusion in the following case? Onlookers have observed that in many other high-profile cases taken place in the past, delayed cases increase the chances of evidence tampering to favour the accused and build a false case.
Now, that this inquiry has given a boost to all the speculations of conspiracy behind Indrani being targeted with an overdose of medicines over the time and again! It indicates a high-time for the authorities to increase the security for the prisoners. Perhaps, it can be said as a step ahead in unfolding the mystery of the Indrani’s on-going illness! Time will tell how far this investigation will unwind the perplexed Mukerjea case.
