Indrani Mukerjea and her driver are accused of strangling her daughter Sheena Bora inside a car.
A former driver of Indrani Mukerjea, who is an approver in the Sheena Bora murder case, on Tuesday told a Mumbai court that he fears a threat to his life and was given protection inside the jail and additional security when he is brought to the court.
Shyamvar Rai, who was continuing his deposition in the case for the second day, identified Indrani Mukerjea and two other accused in the murder case as conspirators and killers in court.
When Special Public Prosecutor Kavita Patil asked him to identify Ms Mukerjea, her husband and former media baron Peter Mukerjea, and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, Mr Rai pointed to the dock where they were standing.
Ms Mukerjea and Mr Khanna are accused of strangling her daughter Sheena Bora inside a car driven by Shyamvar Rai on April 25, 2012. Peter Mukerjea is accused of being party to the conspiracy.
Mr Rai also told special judge J C Jagdale that a day after the murder, he went to work as usual and picked up Mr Mukerjea from the airport. Two days later, he drove Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea to airport; and got a call from Indrani Mukerjea after some days where she told him she won't be coming back to Mumbai and he should look for another job.
"She also asked me to throw away the parcel (given to him earlier)," Mr Rai said, adding that Indrani Mukerjea's secretary Kajal gave him three months' salary.
"When I checked the parcel I was terrified as it contained a country-made pistol and bullets. I tried to throw away the parcel twice (but could not do it)," Mr Rai said.
In August 2015, three years later, he mustered courage and stepped out to dispose the pistol, but took to his heels on seeing a police van, he said.
"The police caught me and found the weapon," Mr Rai said, adding that during the interrogation he told them about Sheena Bora's killing.
He confessed about the crime before a magistrate later as he was "feeling remorse", Mr Rai said. Confession before a magistrate can be used as evidence.
Defence lawyers started his cross-examination on Tuesday, which is expected to go on for two-three days.
The murder came to light in August 2015 after Mr Rai spilled the beans and Mumbai police arrested Indrani Mukerjea, Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai after recovering the remains of Sheena Bora's body from a jungle in Raigad district. Peter Mukerjea was arrested later.
According to the CBI, financial dispute was the reason for Indrani Mukerjea to hatch the conspiracy. Sheena Bora was also in a relationship with Peter Mukerjea's son from earlier marriage, Rahul, which Indrani Mukerjea disapproved of.