Home department awaits CBI's okay to probe Sheena Bora case

A day after the state government decided to hand over probe in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case to the CBI, sources in the home department said the process of issuing notification for the same is in progress.

"We have contacted the Centre and a notification would be issued after we get a confirmation of acceptance of the case by the CBI," an official in the state home department said.

The decision to hand over the case to the CBI was announced at a press meet on Friday evening by additional chief secretary (Home) KP Bakshi after 10 days of flip-flop over the supervisory role of former Mumbai police chief Rakesh Maria, who was removed from the post on September 8 and replaced by Ahmad Javed.

Hinting at a possible yes from the CBI to go ahead with the probe, the officer added that the formalities take longer (to complete) when the CBI agrees to take the case.

Though the government, within hours of shunting him out as Mumbai police commissioner, had said that Maria would continue to supervise the probe, after the decision generated much heat in the media and political circles, ambiguity persisted on his actual role.

Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012, and her body was burnt and disposed of in the forest in Raigad district the next day.

Apart from Sheena's mother Indrani, the latter's former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested in the case and are now in judicial custody after being interrogated for 14 days by the police.