SC rejects Indrani Mukerjea’s fresh plea to travel abroad, asks her to approach trial court

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a fresh plea filed by Indrani Mukerjea, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, seeking permission to travel abroad. The bench made it clear that she must approach the trial court for any such relief, reiterating its earlier direction on the matter.

Hearing the plea, the court noted that its previous order had already granted Mukerjea the liberty to move the trial court. It stated that any application filed there should be decided in accordance with the earlier directive and, considering the urgency expressed, should be disposed of within four weeks. The court declined to examine the merits of the fresh application at this stage.

The issue of travel restrictions has been ongoing since last year, when the Supreme Court rejected a similar plea, observing that there was no assurance of Mukerjea’s return if allowed to travel abroad. At that time, the court also upheld the Bombay High Court’s decision overturning a special court order that had permitted her a short foreign visit, and directed the trial court to expedite proceedings in the case.

Mukerjea had earlier sought to travel to Spain and the United Kingdom for a limited period after a special court granted permission in July 2024. However, the Bombay High Court later set aside that order following an appeal, leading her to approach the Supreme Court. The latest plea was filed again seeking overseas travel permission, which the apex court has now declined to entertain.

Indrani Mukerjea, who was arrested in 2015 after the murder of Sheena Bora came to light, was granted bail in 2022 after spending over six years in custody. She has denied all allegations. According to the prosecution, Bora was killed in 2012 in Mumbai, allegedly strangled in a car and later burned, with the case emerging during a separate investigation.