Sheena Bora murder mystery has piqued the nation’s curiosity.
By Dileep Thekkethil
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Newspapers and news channels have made many mornings gloomy, reporting the most bizarre murders, making people think humanity is going to the dogs. The Sheena Bora murder case is the latest one to hold the nation’s interest.
Here’s a look at some of the most sensational murder cases in India that made headlines for weeks and months on end:
Sheena Bora murder case: The INX media co-founder Indrani Mukerjea is accused of murdering her firstborn daughter Sheena Bora inside a car with the help of her former second husband Sanjeev Khanna and the driver.
The murder of Sheena Bora allegedly took place three years ago. Indrani maintained that Sheena, who was introduced to others as her sister, went to the US for higher studies.
All three are accused of murdering Sheena by strangulating her, then cutting her into pieces, stocking it in a suitcase and later burning it in the forest to destroy evidence.
Indrani is also facing a separate case for attempting to murder Mikhail Bora – Sheena’s sibling – by giving him spiked drinks. Mikhail told media that he is fortunate to be alive as he left the place early on the fatal day his sister got murdered.
The murder came to light when police arrested Shyam Rai, the driver, for keeping an unlicensed firearm after which he took the officers to the secret burial site inside forest where the police unearthed skeletal remains.
Indrani is presently married to Peter Mukerjea, the former CEO of STAR India.
Aarushi Talwar murder case: The double homicide of Aarushi Talwar and 45-year-old domestic help Hemraj, popularly known as Noida Murder case, is one of the most cited cases while discussing “trial by the media”.
The incident leading to the case took place on the night of May 15, 2008, at Aarushi’s home. The body of 14-year-old Aarushi was found lying in a pool of blood with her throat slit on May 16.
The initial investigation suggested that Hemraj, the domestic help, was the primary suspect. But on the next day Hemraj’s decomposed body was found from the terrace and the police were criticized for not securing the crime scene.
Soon media came up with their own theories regarding the murder. Some media reported that Nupur Talwar and Rajesh Talwar killed their daughter to protect the family’s honor as Aarushi came to know about the extramarital affair of her father. Some other media reported that Aarushi was seen with Hemraj in a compromising position, which lead to her parents murdering her and the domestic help.
The first CBI investigation claimed that Talwars’ assistant Krishna along with two domestic servants—Rajkumar and Vijay killed Aarushi after an attempted sexual assault and Hemraj for being a witness. But the court didn’t find enough evidence against the three and acquitted them.
In 2009, a new team was constituted to investigate the case which recommended closing the case due to critical gaps in the evidence. The CBI also criticized media people for rushing into the house of the Talwars, destroying major forensic evidence of the murder. But the court found enough circumstantial evidence to indict Aarushi’s parents—Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar—and the parents were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Talwars have challenged the decision in the Allahabad High Court citing lack of evidence against them.
Jessica Lal murder Case: Jessica Lal was a Delhi-based model working as a celebrity barmaid when she was shot point black in the head at 2 am on April 30, 1999. The primary investigation found Siddharth Vashisht, son of a congress MP as the primary suspect. But the court acquitted him for lack of evidence on February 21, 2006.
But the case got enough media attention that the prosecution appealed to the Delhi High Court to proceed the case in a fast track court with daily hearing conducted over 25 days. The fast track court ruled out the judgement of the trial court and convicted Siddharth Vashisht for murdering Jessica. He was sentenced life imprisonment on December 20, 2006.
According to police Siddharth Vashisht came to the party with his 0.22 calibre pistol and ordered Jessica to serve him liquor. On refusal, he fired a warning shot that hit the ceiling but a defiant Jessica was shot point blank on the head, killing her instantly.
In 2011, a Bollywood film named ‘No One Killed Jessica’ based on the Jessica murder case was released with Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan appearing in lead roles.
Shivani Bhatnagar murder case: It is not unusual that media become proactive when reporting a crime against a media person. The Shivani Bhatnagar murder case of 1999 was one of the most covered murder cases in India by the media. Shivani, a journalist working with the English daily The Indian Express was murdered in January, 1999 and the investigation of the case touched the top echelons of bureaucracy and politics.
Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ravi Kant Sharma was found as the primary suspect in the case which was investigated by the Delhi police. But before police could reach him Sharma went into hiding only to surrender on September 27, 2002.
During the interrogation, Sharma confessed that he killed Shivani for the fear of getting exposed about their intimate relations. Sharma along with three other accomplices – Sri Bhagwan Sharma, Satya Prakash and Pradeep Sharma were convicted by a Delhi Trial Court.
On October 2011, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of Ravi Kant Sharma, Sri Bhagwan and Satya Prakash, acquitting them over the lack of evidence. But the conviction of Pradeep Sharma was upheld.
Sister Abhaya murder case: The death of Abhaya, a Catholic nun is one of the most sensational murder cases ever taken up by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Sister Abhaya was found dead in the well of the St. Pius X Convent in Kottayam, Kerala in 1992. The initial investigation of Kerala police summed up that Sister Abhaya committed suicide, but a petition filed by nuns of the congregation led to the court ruling a CBI investigation.
Though a CBI investigation was ordered, the investigating officers in charge of the case failed to come up with solid evidence. A latter CBI team found that Sister Abhaya was murdered, but neither were they able to find the motive nor the perpetrators, this lead to the court handing over the case to the Kerala wing of CBI in 2008.
They found some initial manipulations in the case done by the local police and crime branch, -The inquest report did not indicate the homicidal injuries on the body of Abhaya.
-The material evidence in the case was destroyed and the clothes were not subject to forensic examination
-The photographs showing injuries on the body were removed.
-The crime scene was tampered with or material physical evidence was not collected from the crime scene.
It was only 16 years later, on November 19, 2008 that two priests and a nun were arrested by the CBI in connection with the case. According to the CBI, Sister Abhaya accidently entered the room of the accused nun Sister Sephy where she was found in a compromising position with the other two priests. Over the fear of getting defamed the nun hit Abhaya with an axe and with the help of the two priests dumped the body in the well.
CBI also informed the court that the gynecology tests conducted on the accused nun Sister Sephy discovered that she had hymen restoration done, a complex surgery to hide the crime.
Neeraj Grover murder case: The murder of Neeraj Grover, a Mumbai-based production house employee, is a typical example for a triangular love disaster.
The triangle love between Neeraj, actress Maria Susairaj and Lt. ML Jerome Mathew ended in the navy officer taking the life of Neeraj after he came to know that the latter was staying in Maria’s new flat.
Unable to control his rage Mathew rushed to Maria’s flat the next morning and stabbed Neeraj to death using a kitchen knife.
After committing the crime, both Mathew and Maria chopped Neeraj’s body into more than 300 pieces and stored it in a bag. They later went to a jungle nearby the flat and set the bag on fire to cover up the gruesome act.
On the way to dispose the body, Maria accidently took the cell phone of Neeraj which became a lead for the police. Mathews along with Maria was arrested and the former was found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Meanwhile, Maria was acquitted of murder charges but was found guilty of trying to destroy evidence.
Geeta and Sanjay Chopra kidnapping and murder case: Sixteen-year-old Geeta Chopra and her brother Sanjay Chopra, 14, were kidnapped and later murdered in New Delhi in 1978 by Kuljeet Singh and Jasbir Singh, known as the infamous Billa and Ranga, epitomizing evil in India. The children were kidnapped for a ransom but on finding that their father was a naval officer both children were killed.
During the interrogation, the accused confessed that they raped Geeta before murdering her but the forensic report didn’t confirm their statement. Both the accused were convicted for murder and were sentenced to death. Their execution was carried out in 1982.
Amar Singh Chamkila murder case: The popular Punjabi singer and stage performer Amar Singh Chamkila was killed along with his wife and stage partner Amarjot by unidentified men in motorcycles on March 8, 1988.
Since the killing there exist many conspiracy theories about the motive and the perpetrators behind the killing of one of the most noted Punjabi singers. It is believed that the singer had received constant death threats, but the reason or the nature of those threats still remains a mystery.
Some believe that one or more artists might have plotted against Amar Singh Chamkila due to the decline of interest in other Punjabi singers. There are also people who believe that the murder was executed by Khalistani separatists who found Chamkila’s lyrics provocative and liberal.
Chandrashekhar Prasad murder case: Chandrashekhar Prasad was a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and an active member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was shot dead along with his companion Shyam Narain Yadav on March 31, 1997, in broad daylight by an unidentified gunman. He was shot while addressing a crowd in the north-Bihar town of Siwan, supporting them in a strike called by his party. Even though his killing led to massive student protest, the assailants were never found and the motive behind the murder of one of the upcoming politicians still remains unsolved.
Rizwanur Rahman murder case: Rizwanur Rahman, a computer graphics trainer who belonged to a middle-class family, fell in love with the daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi, Priyanka Todi. Both got married without the consent of the girl’s family. Priyanka’s family couldn’t tolerate the decision and persuaded her to come back. She was later not allowed to talk to her husband and on September 2007, Rahman’s body was found from a railway track in Kolkata.
The case was written off as yet another case of suicide, but the media jumped into conclusions alleging law enforcers helped the affluent family to get away with murder. Currently, the case is under CBI investigation.
1 Comment
Two more gruesome murders committed by politicians are: Naina Sahani (Tandoor Murder Case-Delhi) and Madhumita Shukla Muder case (U.P.)