One of India’s leading media magnates has been formally charged with murder over the death of his stepdaughter, an investigating officer said yesterday, the latest development in a case gripping the nation.
Peter Mukerjea, former chief executive of media behemoth Star India, has also been charged with abduction, destruction of evidence and giving false information, an official with the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation said.
“He has been charged with the same offenses as the others,” the official said on condition of anonymity, referring to earlier charges filed against Mukerjea’s wife, Indrani Mukerjea, and two others.
The wife is accused along with her driver and former husband of strangling Sheena Bora to death, before dumping her body in a forest and setting it alight.
Bora, 22, was Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter from a previous relationship.
She was murdered in April 2012 and her burned body was discovered the following month in woods in the western state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital.
Indrani Mukerjea was arrested in August last year on suspicion of murdering the young woman, who was having an affair with Peter Mukerjea’s son from an earlier marriage.
Various motives have been put forward for the alleged crime, including a financial dispute over property dealings and a dislike of Bora’s relationship with Peter Mukerjea’s son, Rahul.
The bureau also arrested Peter Mukerjea in November last year and on Tuesday formally added him to the same charge sheet after several months of questioning, according to a statement on its Web site.
Peter Mukerjea was chief executive of Fox-owned Star India from 1997 to 2007 before leaving to start his own television venture and is seen as one of India’s most successful media magnates.
In November last year, the bureau formally charged Indrani Mukerjea, who is the prime accused, her driver, Shyam Rai, and former partner Sanjeev Khanna with murder, abduction and destruction of evidence, among other offenses.
Peter Mukerjea was believed to be out of the country on the day of the murder, but the bureau alleges he was actively involved in the conspiracy.
“Even when he was abroad he was in constant touch with Indrani,” the official said.
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