Indrani Mukerjea performs at literary festival in Himachal: ‘Rich can get away with murder’

Indrani Mukerjea gave a dance performance at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli, which also had filmmaker Imtiaz Ali in attendance.

Indrani Mukerjea performs at Khushwant Singh Literature Fest in Kasauli (Image source: @joybhattarcharj/X)

Indrani Mukerjea, former media executive and the main accused in her daughter Sheena Bora’s murder case, has made it to headlines yet again over her dance performance at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, on Friday. However, Mukerjea’s involvement with the lit fest did not sit well with several social media users, including prominent figures, and has attracted backlash against organisers.

“Seeing Indrani Mukerjea perform and be legitimised at a Lit Fest, that too one named after Khushwant Singh, makes me sick to the pit of my stomach,” a verified user, Joy Bhattacharjya, wrote on X.

Seeing Indrani Mukerjea perform and be legitimised at a Lit Fest, that too one named after Khushwant Singh, makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. pic.twitter.com/pzLCNQDGHi

— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) October 20, 2024

The post quickly gained traction, with several users questioning the organisers for inviting Mukerjea to high-profile events that included Imtiaz Ali, Anindyo Roy, Devdutt Pattanaik, and more. “The Indian Society is conditioned to worship the rich, not good or bad. She is rich, hence can get away with murder, release her Netflix Shows and what not,” a user wrote. “Yes, this is seriously objectionable and twisted. Even if it is all about money, that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be bare minimum decency. How can this even be considered a lit fest?” another user commented.

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“That’s what our movies/web series do. They whitewash images of criminal celebrities. And Indians getting affected by films has to be a subject in academics to teach them what not to do,” a third user reacted.

Mukerjea was arrested in August 2015 after the murder of Sheena Bora came to light. She walked out of jail in May 2022 on being granted bail by the Supreme Court.

Bora, 24, was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Mukerjea, her then-driver Shyamvar Rai and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012 in Mumbai. Her body was reportedly set ablaze in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district.