Shyamvar Rai, the approver and prosecution’s prime witness in the Sheena Bora murder case told the court on Friday that he was unaware that turning approver could earn him an acquittal in the case. While being cross-examined by Indrani Mukerjea’s lawyer, Rai said that he was not told by anyone that he would be spared punishment if he turned into a prosecution witness.
On 26 September 2015, just a month after Shyamvar Rai was arrested by the Mumbai police in connection to Sheena Bora’s murder, Rai had filed an application before the metropolitan magistrate and claimed that he wanted to “tell the truth about” the case. But when questioned about the details of his application and the conversation he had with the magistrate, Rai said he couldn’t remember the details.
In his statement and deposition in the past, Shyamvar Rai, who worked as Indrani and Peter Mukerjea’s driver since 2004, had given a detailed account describing Sheena’s murder. Rai had confessed to helping Sheena’s mother, Indrani, and Sanjeev Khanna kill Sheena in 2012.
“I turned from my seat and moved towards Sheena and saw that Sanjeev Khanna was grabbing Sheena’s hair and Indrani madam was strangling Sheena with her hands. I covered Sheena’s mouth, she bit my right thumb. I removed my hand immediately. My thumb was bleeding and I went back and sat on my seat. I could hear Sheena weeping and making gagging sounds,” said Rai, describing how she was killed.
During his deposition last week, Rai recounted chilling details of the murder and the similar fate that was planned for Sheena’s brother Mikhail Bora too.
He (Mikhail) was drinking the same liquor that was mixed with the medicines. Sanjeev Khanna said that it will be troublesome to take two bodies simultaneously to two different spots.Shyamvar Rai, Approver in Sheena Bora murder case
The defence lawyers will continue to cross-examine Shyamvar Rai on the deposition made by him in court.
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