Indrani Mukerjea moves HC to quash 2017 prison rioting FIR

Indrani Mukerjea walked out of the Byculla women's prison here on May 20 after the Supreme Court granted her bail in the Sheena Bora killing case

Former media baron Indrani Mukerjea, who recently got bail in the case of allegedly killing her daughter Sheena Bora, has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking to quash another case lodged against her on the charge of rioting in jail and obstructing police in their duty.

Ms. Mukerjea walked out of the Byculla women's prison here on May 20 after the Supreme Court granted her bail in the Sheena Bora killing case. Ms. Mukerjea spent almost seven years in jail. Ms. Mukerjea, through her advocate Sana Raees Khan, moved the HC on May 19, seeking to quash an FIR registered against her on June 24, 2017 by the Mumbai police, following a rioting incident in the Byculla prison.

The riot had erupted after a co-inmate, Manjula Shetye, was beaten up allegedly by jail officials following which the woman died. Ms. Mukerjea has been accused of inciting the inmates to shout and throw plates and pots at police officers.

In her petition moved in the HC, Ms. Mukerjea claimed she was implicated in the case with a motive to harass and torture her. Ms. Mukerjea, who filed the petition on May 19, in the plea said that she was “neither a part of the alleged attack nor was she involved in creating any unnecessary nuisance in the prison'".

The petition said "bogus, general and vague allegations'' have been levelled against Ms. Mukerjea and no specific role has been attributed to her. As per the HC's website, the plea is likely to be heard on June 1.