Indrani Mukerjea docu-series won't release till Feb 29, Bombay HC told; court orders spl screening for CBI

Bombay High Court/ File Photo

Netflix has informed the Bombay High Court that the documentary series about Indrani Mukerjea, who is charged with the murder of Sheena Bora, will be delayed till February 29. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande, who were hearing CBI's case, have directed the makers to hold a special screening of the docu-series, reported PTI.

The documentary, titled 'The Indrani Mukerjea Story: The Buried Truth,' investigates the disappearance of Sheena Bora and was originally scheduled to broadcast on Netflix on February 23. The CBI had filed a motion to stop its release till the trial in the case was over, reported PTI.

According to the report, during the hearing, the court noted that like an accused, the prosecution and victim also have rights. "Why should the CBI not be allowed to see the series? What is the difficulty in sharing the docu-series," the court asked.

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Eventually, the OTT platform agreed to hold a special screening for the CBI. Senior counsel representing Netflix had initially opposed citing concerns of pre-censorship and had also questioned the timing of the CBI's petition, stated the PTI report.

However, the court stated that the trial is still underway and witnesses are being interrogated, implying that the release could be delayed for a week. Netflix ultimately agreed to postpone the release date until February 29. The court noted, "The release of the series can be deferred for a week...Heavens are not going to fall."

Reportedly, the court also ordered CBI's counsel to attend the screening and said, "What your (CBI) officer may think and perceive is different from a law officer. You (Shirsat) are an officer of the court. We are giving you an opportunity to view it."

The court was informed that the documentary had interviews with five witnesses, including Indrani's son Mikhail and her daughter from Peter Mukerjea Vidhie. Three of these witnesses have yet to be examined by the trial court, the report added.

According to the report, after a special court had denied its appeal against the series, the CBI turned to the HC. The agency stated that only a minority of the witnesses have been examined in the trial court thus far.

Sheena Bora was allegedly murdered by Indrani, her former driver, and her ex-husband in April 2012. The case gained attention in 2015 when details emerged following the arrest of the driver in another case. Indrani was arrested in 2015 and granted bail in 2022, while the other accused are also out on bail.