Lucknow, June 27 (PTI): Sixteen days after crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead Mumbai Police's Crime Branch today claimed to have cracked the murder case with the detention of five persons. An FIR was today registered against two senior police officers for allegedly manhandling a senior journalist of a news channel in Hazratganj police station, police said.
”We have cracked the case. At least five persons have been detained from the state as well as from outside the state,” a senior Crime Branch official told.
The FIR was lodged against Additional Superintendent of Police B P Ashok and Circle officer Anup Kumar under various section of IPC, including 323 (causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IBN 7 bureau chief Shalabh Mani Tripathi.
Tripathi and his associate Manoj Rajan were allegedly picked up by the policemen last night and manhandled leading to protests by the journalists outside Chief Minister Mayawati's residence.
Later, Secretary to CM, Navneet Sehgal announced suspension of the two officers and requested Shalabh to lodge an FIR against the officers.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have condemned the attack on the journalist. BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi said that the attack on the journalists’ show that no one is safe in the state, while Congress State president Rita Bahuguna Joshi also termed the incident as “unfortunate.”
She said that those involved in the incident should be strictly dealt with so that such incidents do not recur.
Chhota Rajan ordered Dey's killing
Mumbai police today claimed that underworld don Chhota Rajan was behind the murder, even as they remained tight-lipped about the motive.
”The murder was planned by Rohit Thangappan alias Satish Kalya at the behest of Chhota Rajan. Kalya is a known shooter of Rajan gang and has worked for him earlier too,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy told reporters.
According to police, Kalya had received a call from Chhota Rajan around 20 days before June 11, the day when Dey was shot dead. ”Rajan told Kalya he needs him to do a job and that money and weapons would be provided. Kalya then collected Rs two lakh from Chembur and the murder weapon along with 25 rounds of cartridges from Nainital,” Roy said.
Police, however, did not disclose the motive behind the murder.
The police have recovered the murder weapon. All the seven arrested in the case were produced before a local court which remanded them to police custody till July 4.
Roy further said that Rajan had kept the identity of the target a secret but had given description of the victim and his bike number a week before the killing. ”Rajan had told Kalya, the target would be found either in Arel (where Mid-Day office is located) or in Pia, where Dry stays. On June 9 and 10, Kaila along with his associate Anil Waghmode had formed a team of seven persons, tried to spot Dey in Powai area but failed. On June 11, they spotted him and Kalya, who was riding pillion, fired five rounds at Dey,” Roy said.
J Dey (56), working with the city-based English tabloid Mid Day, was shot dead by four motorcycle-borne assailants in suburban Powai on June 11. Dey was shot at from close range, reportedly by professionals, and a total of 5 bullets entered his body.
The murder of the veteran scribe had sent shockwaves and the Mumbai police were probing the case from all angles.
