FILE: Indrani Mukerjea with her husband and former Star India chief Peter Mukerjea.
Stating that he was shocked over his wife Indrani Mukerjea's arrest for the murder of her daughter Sheena, former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea said he felt he had been "kept in the dark throughout our marriage."
Sheena Bora, who was Indrani Mukerjea's daughter from a previous marriage, was killed in 2012, the Mumbai police say. Her body was allegedly dumped in forests around 80 km from Mumbai. The murder was revealed by Ms Mukerjea's driver, who was arrested a few days ago on a tip-off.
No motive has been stated yet, but Peter Mukerjea told NDTV today that his wife had serious objections to Sheena's relationship with his son from a previous marriage - her step-brother.
Mr Mukerjea said neither he nor Indrani approved of the relationship.
"Indrani was unhappy, so was I, about Sheena's affair with my son. Sheena was living with someone who was not earning. The relationship was not encouraged by Indrani...There was a lot of pressure from her parents as well," said the TV mogul.
He said that it was only yesterday, when his wife was arrested, that he found out that Sheena was Indrani's daughter, not sister.
"I never took the rumours seriously...I dismissed them as a figment of rumour mongering. But now it is coming from the police, which is so much more shocking. I am starting to believe that what I was told four years ago might be true," said the TV moghul.
He said Sheena disappeared in 2012 but he "was not aware she was missing" until yesterday. "I was told she is off to the US for studies. I felt a sense of relief. I asked my son to move on and forget Sheena," he admitted.
"Until yesterday I was given to believe that Sheena was in full knowledge of her parents and Indrani but then I got to know Indrani is the parent," Mr Mukherjea shared, saying he was "dumbstruck" at the arrest and the revelations.
Peter Mukerjea married Indrani in 2002, when she was HR consultant at Star India Network.