New Delhi, April 9: Former STAR India CEO Peter Mukerjea, imprisoned and awaiting trial in stepdaughter Sheena Bora's murder case, blames Arnab Goswami for his situation and wants to take the news anchor on whenever he is freed, a new book claims.

Sunetra Choudhury's upcoming Behind Bars - Prison Tales of India's Most Famous, a book about celebrity prisoners published by Roli Books, is based on letters Peter wrote to the author from Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai.

"My days with STAR News would constantly flash across my mind and I hated Arnab for having done this to me so needlessly," the book quotes Peter, who was arrested in November 2015, three months after the arrest of prime suspect Indrani, his wife and Sheena's mother.

The CBI chargesheet against Peter cites his interview with then Times Now editor-in-chief Goswami as evidence against him.

When the author asks Peter why he "hates Arnab", he replies: "I don't hate Arnab and I'm sorry if I implied that. I don't particularly like his style of journalism and maybe at some point in the past I may have turned him down when he applied for a job at STAR - so it could be some sort of vendetta - but that is silly and childish on his part if that is so - let alone grossly irresponsible."

He adds: "To call me a liar is incorrect - particularly when he doesn't have the facts. It's also defamatory apart from being unfair to me, knowing that I'm in judicial custody and unable to respond."

Contacted, Goswami declined comment. Sources close to the journalist rejected Peter's allegation.

Ravina Raj Kohli, who was president of STAR News and CEO of MCCS, the joint venture that managed the news business then, told this newspaper: "Peter didn't hire anyone for STAR News; I did. Who was hired in the news business was my decision."

Kohli added: "I met Arnab in my Delhi home and discussed him moving to STAR News. At the time, he was utterly faithful to Prannoy Roy and was not comfortable switching to Hindi news. The revenge theory is completely baseless and seems to be idle gossip."

Peter had given an interview to Goswami on Times Now on August 27, 2015, where he said he had learnt of Indrani's arrest earlier that month on his return from a golf session.

He recalled being "horrified" at the charges of his wife having killed her own daughter who everyone thought was her sister. He told Goswami he hadn't suspected anything when Sheena, who was also his son Rahul's fiancée, went missing in 2012.

"You can call me stupid or maybe I was blindsided, but I trusted my wife," he said.

In a letter to the author, Peter is quoted as saying Goswami had not just called him a "liar" but told the audience: "He (Peter) comes across as a scheming liar who can state untruths with a poker face. And let me tell you about some of them.

"In his interview to me, he said he didn't know she (Sheena) was his daughter. Presumption is Indrani never told him but in tape 10 (a purported family conversation recorded by Rahul) he listens quietly as Indrani calls Sheena her daughter. This means in his interview to me, Peter Mukerjea lied with a capital L - a lie so cold that one begins to wonder who the real conspiracy master is."

Peter tells the author: "I maintain that I had no knowledge of the alleged incident and was not a conspirator or an abettor. I was pacifying my son Rahul as he was naturally upset that his wife-to-be had left him. I was told she has left him for another person but I did not know who -- I could really only console him and ask him not to worry -- as she is fine."

Recalling the events leading up to his arrest, Peter says: "I had no inkling that there was even the faintest possibility of me being arrested.... I was shocked and horrified.... I could have tried to get anticipatory bail had I known this was coming."

In jail, Peter claims to have read many books, ranging from law books explaining the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Evidence Act, Constitution of India, Prevention of Corruption Act, Hindu marriage and divorce laws and the like.

He claims to have found the jail manual a fascinating book too. "The others have been the Bhagwad Gita, which I'm still part (of the) way through, Game of Thrones, books on Buddhism and the Dalai Lama."

In his last letter, Peter mentions Goswami again: "Thanks to Arnab and his decibel levels, he's put me in here - which is the price I'm paying - but over time I'm sure it will get resolved and I'll then come on his show and take him on, happily. Maybe you'll see my point of view."

Choudhury says she was surprised at the way Peter described his days in jail.

"On September 28, 2016, here's how he describes being in jail: 'It's like being in a spa - what can I say? No alcohol, no cigarettes, early to bed, early to rise, exercise for a couple of hours, lots of reading, plenty of time to think, no junk food - all very healthy. I've lost a few kilos - which is no bad thing and as I'm indoors most of the day, I don't get too much sunlight so my skin has improved."

By October 24, his mood has swung: "Lock-up or jail is no 'spa'. It's miserable, not fun and although it's an experience, it's not one that I would recommend to anyone. It's pathetic. Jails are overcrowded and far from being a reform centre, they're a grim reality check on life."

Peter sleeps on the floor next to strangers, with barely a change of clothes. "There were small mercies, though, like a permission from the court to eat home food, which meant he still got fish to eat," Choudhury writes.

About Indrani, he tells the author: "I don't resent Indrani for anything other than for not telling me her complete life story when she had the opportunity to do so as then maybe I could have helped her overcome her concerns. Seeing her in court is disturbing."

He is "glad I don't get to see the madness that exists on the news channels, every night, particularly the one-man band who plays the same time each night" --- a dig at Goswami.

The book also features A. Raja, Amar Singh, Kobad Ghandy and Pappu Yadav.