November 25, 2011

J Dey murder: Mumbai journalist Jigna Vora arrested

A Mumbai journalist, Jigna Vora, has been arrested in connection with the murder of MidDay reporter J Dey.

Ms Vora, who works for a Mumbai paper, has been charged with aiding and abetting the crime.

J Dey was shot dead by in broad daylight by four motorcycle-borne assailants in a crowded street in suburban Powai on June 11.

Jigna Vora has been arrested for allegedly giving details like Mr Dey's motorcycle registration number and his address to fugitive underworld don Chotta Rajan, who is accused of masterminding the murder.

She has been arrested under provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and will be tried for murder and conspiracy like the other accused in the case, the police said.

She will be produced before the special MCOCA court later today.

The Crime Branch has in its possession records of a telephone conversation purportedly between Chotta Rajan and some others claiming that the journalist had provided the information which helped them track down Mr Dey, police sources said.

The Crime Branch claims that they have incriminating call records which go against the journalist who has been arrested.

Police had recorded Jigna Vora's statement twice in the past.

Who was J Dey?

Mr Dey, who was the Investigations Editor with the MidDay, spent most of his reporting career bringing out accounts of the goings-on in the Mumbai underworld for several newspapers including the Indian Express and the Hindustan Times.

He wrote 'Zero Dial: The Dangerous World of Informers' and 'Khallas'. The books are considered to be among the most authoritative writings on the Mumbai underworld.

Police over a period had made 10 arrests in the case before today, including builder Vinod Asrani and sharp shooters.

A close associate of Chhota Rajan, Paulson Joseph, is in the custody of Mumbai Police for his alleged involvement in the killing of the senior journalist.

Mr Dey was known for his investigative reports and had reported extensively on the Mumbai underworld, including fugitive dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.

One of the angles the police probed after Mr Dey was gunned down was the involvement of the oil mafia since the journalist had been writing about their operations.

Source: NDTV

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