CBI filed a plea with the Bombay High Court to halt the release of a documentary series centered on Indrani Mukerjea, the primary accused in the Sheena Bora murder case. Netflix Today (22 Feb) pledged to the Court that it would refrain from broadcasting the series until February 29, the date set for the next hearing regarding the request for a stay on the documentary’s release.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Mumbai: Today (22 Feb), the Bombay High Court instructed Netflix to organize an advanced screening for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of the documentary series titled “The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth”. This documentary series revolves around Indrani Mukerjea, the primary accused in the Sheena Bora murder case.
The CBI had filed a petition seeking to halt the release of the web series, citing the ongoing trial in the Sheena Bora murder case.
During today’s proceedings, a division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande suggested that it would be prudent for the CBI to view the series before presenting arguments on their plea for a stay.
Initially, Netflix expressed concerns regarding potential pre-censorship implications of such a directive. However, eventually, the OTT platform agreed to the suggestion. In compliance with the court’s directive, Netflix also assured that it would refrain from broadcasting the series until the next hearing date on the matter.
The CBI had taken the matter to the High Court on February 21 following the rejection of its plea by the special CBI court to halt the release of a documentary series. The CBI argued that the series featured interviews with the accused and several witnesses. Advocate Shreeram Shirsat, representing the agency, contended that as the CBI had only watched the trailer, it was unaware of the number of witnesses featured in the series.
In response, the High Court directed Netflix to provide details of the witnesses interviewed in the series.
Senior advocate Ravi Kadam, appearing for Netflix, informed the Court that the series included interviews with five witnesses, including Indrani’s son, Mikhael, and her daughter, Vidhie Mukerjea. He further explained that the testimonies of two witnesses had been recorded, while three were yet to be interviewed.
The Court proposed that Netflix could show the series to the CBI before further proceedings. Initially, Kadam opposed this suggestion, citing concerns about pre-censorship and the absence of a gag order against the witnesses. However, he eventually agreed to allow selected CBI officers and their legal representatives, including Additional Solicitor General Devang Vyas, to view the series.
The Court also inquired whether Netflix could delay the release of the documentary until the next hearing.
“We should allow them to watch it. The release can be postponed for a week without significant consequences. If you are unable to provide instructions and make a statement, we will issue this directive,”
-remarked the Court.
Accordingly, Netflix consented to postpone the airing of the series until the next hearing scheduled for February 29. The original premiere date was set for February 23.
Indrani Mukerjea was arrested in 2015 on charges of murdering her daughter, Sheena Bora, with assistance from her former husband, Sanjeev Khanna, her current husband, Peter Mukerjea, and driver Shyamvar Rai. In November 2021, the Bombay High Court denied bail to Mukerjea. However, in May 2022, the Supreme Court granted her bail.
CASE TITLE:
CBI v. Netflix India & Ors.
PREVIOUS REPORTS ON THE MATTER
CBI Petitions Mumbai Court to Halt Netflix Broadcast of Indrani Mukerjea Documentary Series
Court Denies CBI Request to Halt Netflix Docu-Series on Indrani Mukerjea Case
CBI Requested to Bombay High Court for Stay on Indrani Mukerjea Documentary Series Release
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
