Peter Mukerjea to undergo heart surgery

Peter Mukerjea's lawyers moved courts to allow him a heart operation at a private hospital. Permission has been granted.

An angiography (diagnostic procedure) was done on Peter Mukerjea, accused No 4 in the Sheena Bora murder case and former chief executive officer Star India, on Monday.
 
Mukerjea was admitted to Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital, south central Mumbai, last Saturday.

He reported having chest pain, sources said, since last Monday at Arthur Road Jail. His ECG was done in the jail and than he was rushed to the hospital.

Mukerjea was in distress and hence this investigative procedure was performed at JJ hospital on Monday. The medical results have been produced before the court.

His reports have shown 100 per cent blockage in one artery and partial blockage in two arteries. The options available to Peter are either bypass surgery or stenting through angioplasty.

An angioplasty could possibly be performed in a private hospital and his lawyers have applied for permission to go to a private hospital. CBI Special Judge Jayendra Chandrasen has granted permission.

His family hopes to seek a second opinion and have applied for court permission to get access to all his medical case papers to show it to a specialist and decide on the best options for Mukerjea. The family wants him to be treated at Asian Heart Institute.

Sources report he is comfortable, but tired and drowsy at the moment.

His family now has access to him.

The Mukerjea family has issued a press release stating that he is in “precarious health” and needs surgery.

They have stated that the cause for his heart condition and ill health is “the prolonged and unnecessary incarceration for the last three-and-a-half years that he has been undergoing at Arthur Road Jail (central Mumbai), thanks to a trial in which he had no role at all to play.

They added: “Over this time, 37 witnesses have been examined and none of them have submitted a shred of any evidence of the so-called ‘conspiracy’ by Peter. Even one of the main accused turned approver witness (former Mukerjea driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai), whose submission was the basis for Peter’s incarceration has not given any evidence against Peter.”

The release further added: “We are also urging the Sessions Court to take the current circumstances into consideration when deciding on his bail application, for which the family has been keenly awaiting the order for over four months now, so that he can recuperate in full and without the stress and pain of incarceration. It is obvious that in this condition there is no scope for Peter to be a threat in any way to witnesses or to flee, as alleged by the CBI, and it would be inhuman and degrading to keep him in jail custody anymore.”

At the last hearing for his bail application, his lawyer Shrikant Shivade, speaking on Mukerjea's behalf, stated: "I (Peter) am an old man. 64 years... Never used influence. I am not a politician or a criminal. What influence? Retired. I could not protect myself even (from fabricated charges)? Have no money now either. I don't want to die in custody in disrepute.

Shivade suggested that day, Monday, March 11, that it was not about physical incapacities, but the mental torture his client was suffering from, after over three years of imprisonment

The lawyer said Peter was certain he was going die in jail in custody and on his client's behalf asked, "Kindly grant me bail."

'I don't want to die in custody in disrepute'

MUST READ: The Sheena Bora Murder Trial

Photograph: PTI.