CBI to Question Indrani About Joint Will
The Indian Express reports that the first legal document that the CBI plans to confront Indrani with during questioning is a joint will that she and Peter Mukerjea have signed. The document purportedly states that if either of them dies, all properties would be transferred to the surviving spouse.
The Mumbai Police had recovered a copy of the will, which was made after Sheena’s death. This was handed to us when we took over the case from them. We have learnt it was Indrani who insisted Peter make the will. We want to know if there was any hidden motive in doing so
— CBI offical, speaking to The Indian Express
The will was prepared between 2013 and 2014, after Sheena was murdered in 2012. “We have studied Indrani’s statement recorded before the Mumbai Police. She did not explain what prompted her to make a will after Sheena’s death. We want her to come clean on this point,” said the official.
The CBI also has other documents, including account details of Sheena and her brother Mikhail. It is likely that the two were financially dependent on Indrani. At the time of her death, Sheena’s account balance was Rs 15,000 and documents reveal that no property had been transferred to her.
“We suspect Sheena and Mikhail were blackmailing Indrani and threatening to expose their real relationship.” said the source. Meanwhile, authorities at Byculla women’s jail have installed a CCTV camera to monitor Indrani.
Doctors Not Guinea Pigs
Indrani Mukerjea’s stint at JJ Hospital and her subsequent recovery has raised a number of concerns. The decision to ask doctors at JJ Hospital to taste Indrani’s food to check for poison was met with outrage from the medical fraternity.
The Indian Medical Association says that this is a problem unique to JJ Hospital. A senior doctor has decided to approach the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission on the matter, the Mumbai Mirror reported.
The questions that the issue has raised are along the lines of whether the life of an alleged murderer is more important than the life of a doctor. Are doctors guinea pigs? Why should doctors taste a patient’s food to make sure that it isn’t poisoned?
The outrage was triggered by a Mumbai Mirror report about resident medical officers being forced to taste Indrani’s food.
Dr Lalit Kapoor, a medico legal expert attached to the Association of Medical Consultants said that it was extremely humiliating for the entire medical fraternity. A few years ago, resident doctors were made to sample food given to APJ Abdul Kalam during one of his visits to Mumbai. Debate ensued, but it died down after a few days. Kapoor says that this debate won’t, because the person whose safety is in question is a murder-accused.
The Dean of JJ Hospital, Dr TP Lahane expressed helplessness. “We have to ensure the safety of those coming in to the hospital. We have no other choice,” he said, while agreeing that it is not a doctor’s job to sample food.
Indrani’s Prison Woes
Before she was admitted to JJ Hospital, Indrani had fainted twice while she was in Byculla jail. However, the doctors who examined her didn’t think it was serious and she was treated in the jail premises itself.
A source from the jail confirmed to the Mumbai Mirror that Indrani has written 4 letters to her husband Peter Mukerjea, who has not replied. Indrani has received correspondence from her advocate and from a relative. She has also received money, but it hasn’t come from Peter.
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