J Dev Shot Dead in Mumbai

A senior investigative journalist, who extensively covered underworld and crime for over two decades, was shot dead in broad daylight today (June 11) by four motorbike-borne persons who pumped at least four bullets into him from behind at close range in suburban Powai. Jyotirmoy Dey (56), Editor (Special Investigation) with an English tabloid 'Mid-Day', was riding his motorcycle when he was gunned down in a daring attack that shocked the media fraternity.

Dey was shot dead by unidentified persons in Powai at 15.30 hours, Joint Police Commissioner (Law & Order) Rajnish Seth said. City police's Crime Branch, which usually probes underworld and serious crime incidents, has taken up investigations into the case. According to Additional Police Commissioner (West) Vishwas Nagre Patil, four persons on two mobikes fired at least four to five rounds at Dey, who was also riding a bike, from behind this afternoon near Spectra Building at D Mart in Hiranandani area of Powai.

After the attack, he was rushed to nearby Hiranandani hospital where he was declared dead before admission, Patil said, adding the shooters fled the spot after firing. "Nine wounds were found on his body," he said adding," probably four to five bullets must have been fired taking into account entry and exit wounds." "We are probing the matter in all angles." The body was taken to civic-run Rajawadi hospital for post mortem.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said Dey had not communicated to authorities any threat to him and suggested no one should "jump to conclusions." State Home Minister R R Patil also said Dey had not made any complaint regarding any threat to his life. Mid-Day Executive Editor Sachin Kalbag said Dey had not spoken to him about any danger to his life. Police sources however said Dey, who recently ran a series of stories on oil mafia, had received threats from anti-social elements. He had also written two books on oil mafia and the underworld.

Dey, who had previously worked with the Hindustan Times and the Indian Express, is survived by his wife Shubra, who is also a journalist. "We are verifying his mobile phone records and will record the statement of his family members, who reside in Ghatkopar," a police officer said. The assailants appeared to be young, Vishwas Patil said, adding police was ascertaining if their movements had been captured by the CCTV cameras placed at nearby buildings.

Expressing shock over the killing, PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the journalist did not 'target' any gang or mafia in particular. Asked if the killing could be linked to elements from the underworld or the oil mafia, Bhujbal, a former Home Minister, said, "Dey was a very honest person. He used to write on underworld. He was not targeting anyone in particular, whether any gang or any (oil) mafia".

Kalbag said the killing of Dey was a tremendous loss to the newspaper. Kalbag sad Dey was called a "guru" by budding crime reporters for his investigative reporting skills. He said it was too early to ascertain the motive behind the killing. "Let us not sensationalise the fact that he was working on a story on underworld. Other newspapers too were working on this," Kalbag said. Dey was believed to be working on articles on wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Chhagan Bhujbal said Dey's killing appeared to be pre-planned. "The way he(Dey) was killed with bullets, it is well
planned. Some mafia will be behind it," he said. The books authored by Dey were titled Khallas' (finished), considered a comprehensive write up on the Mumbai underworld, and 'Zero Dial: The Dangerous World of Informers". 

Senior journalist Jatin Desai said that J Dey had given a report to the home minister about some police officials who had links with the underworld, but nothing happened. In the last few years, 125 journalists had been threatened or in some cases attacked, in the state, he said.

Mantralay and Vidhi-Mandal Vartahar Sangh's secretary, Surendra Gangan, was also present at the meeting.

Journalists across the state should wear a black badge to register protest, and hold protest rallies outside district collector's offices demanding Patil's resignation and suspension of Mumbai police commissioner on Monday, it was decided in the meeting.

Prafull Marpakwar, a senior journalist, alleged that the state of affairs was so bad that the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan was in the dark about the incident even five hours after Dey was shot.

Earlier, Mokashi alleged that Dey had been exposing the police-underworld nexus, which might have led to the murder.

Echoing the view, president of Television Journalists' Association, Shashikant Sandhbor, said that murder proved that "police-underworld nexus exists in the city".