Bombay High Court Greenlights Netflix Documentary on Indrani Mukerjea Case Despite CBI Opposition

The Bombay High Court, on Thursday, approved the release of the Netflix documentary series, ‘The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth’, dismissing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) request for a stay order on its release.

In a session presided over by Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande, the documentary series was screened, with the court finding no substantial grounds for concern regarding its impact on the ongoing trial in the Sheena Bora murder case, in which Indrani Mukerjea is a key suspect according to the CBI. The court rebuffed the CBI’s plea, stating, “Upon review, we did not identify any elements in the series that could significantly prejudice the trial. Our primary concern is not about public perception.”

The Bench emphasized that the content shared by Mukerjea in the docuseries was largely already available in the public domain, including through books and films based on the case. “The information shared by Indrani is already widely known. Frankly, we haven’t encountered anything that undermines the prosecution’s case. We considered your concerns seriously and allowed you to view the series, but it’s important not to assume guilt on the part of the accused.”

In essence, the court’s decision reflected the belief that the documentary did not pose a significant risk to the trial’s integrity and that Mukerjea’s statements were consistent with existing public knowledge.

Bombay High Court Allows Release of Netflix Documentary on Indrani Mukerjea Case

During the court proceedings, the CBI was challenged by the judges, who noted that none of the individuals interviewed in the docuseries had spoken against the prosecution. “Can you point out any witness whose testimony contradicts the prosecution’s case? In fact, the interviews seem to support the prosecution’s stance. While public perception can be swayed by various sources like newspapers, the judiciary remains unaffected by such influences. We rely solely on evidence presented before us,” the court remarked.

Peter Mukerjea, the former husband of Indrani Mukerjea and a co-accused in the case, attempted to intervene to express his grievances about being portrayed negatively in the series. However, the court dismissed his plea and advised him to file a separate lawsuit if he wished to pursue his concerns.

Earlier in the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General Devang Vyas, representing the CBI, had raised concerns about the docuseries featuring interviews with both accused individuals and some witnesses. Consequently, on February 22, the High Court directed Netflix to screen the series for the lawyers and judges, leading to a postponement of its release.