MUMBAI: A witness in the Sheena Bora murder case today told the trial court here that he had seen prime accused Indrani Mukerjea and two others near the spot where the remains of the victim's burnt body were later found.
"I came to know that she (Sheena) was murdered and her body was burnt at Gagode Khind (in neighbouring Raiagad district) through TV news (in August 2015), said Sandeep Patil, the witness.
"When TV news was displaying (pictures of) Indrani, Sanjeev Khanna and Shyam Rai, I realised I have seen these people," said Patil, who runs a gym at Khalapur in Raigad.
Patil deposed as a prosecution witness before special CBI judge J C Jagdale.
He said that he was riding his motorcycle from Shivali to Pen early on the morning (in April 2012) when he noticed a stationary car and three persons standing near it.
During an identification parade conducted by police, he identified Indrani Mukerjea, Khanna and Rai, he told the court.
When asked if these persons were present in the court today, Patil recognised Indrani and Khanna, who were sitting in the dock.
Rai has been made an approver in the case.
Another CBI witness, Ajit Mangilal, who owns a shop on the Old Mumbai-Pune road, told the court that he had sold a 20-litre plastic can to a person who came in a sliver-coloured car in April 2012.
A woman was sitting on the rear seat, Patil said.
He identified the person as Shyam Rai when police brought him to his shop, Mangilal said.
In the court, he identified Indrani as the woman in the car.
Sheena (24), Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship, was allegedly killed on April 24, 2012.
The crime came to light in 2015 after Indrani's driver Shyam Rai, arrested in another case, spilled the beans.
The police arrested Indrani, her former husband Khanna and Rai.
Later, Indrani's husband and media baron Peter Mukerjea was also arrested for allegedly being part of the conspiracy.
The CBI, which took over the case from the Mumbai Police, has claimed that a financial dispute was the reason behind the killing.