Five years after senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey was gunned down by a group of motorbike-riding gangsters at suburban Powai, Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambedkar on Wednes-day dedicated a prominent square at Hiranandani Gardens, Powai named after him.
The Mayor unveiled the plaque for the ‘J Dey Chowk’ which is located just across the road where Dey was shot at Powai in north-east Mumbai. Investigations have revealed that Dey was bumped off at the behest of underworld gangster Chhota Rajan.
The move to set up ‘J Dey Chowk’ was jointly initiated by the Mumbai Press Club and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The ‘J Dey Chowk’ is located opposite D’Mart connecting Central Avenu Road and High Street, comprising a busy junction of Hiranandani Gardens.
Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor said Dey become a symbol of “fearless journalist” through his comprehensive reporting of the crime and underworld in the metropolis.
From this year onwards, the Mumbai Press Club launched a "RedInk Veer Patrakar Award" as an additional category. The first award in this category was given posthumously to slain journalist from Uttar Pradesh Jagendra Singh, who was killed allegedly at the behest of a Uttar Pradesh Minister.
Fifty-six-year-old Dey, who was an Editor (Special Investigations) with “Mid-Day”, was gunned down by a group of motorbike-riding gangsters at Powai in north-east Mumbai on June 11, 2011. Investigations have revealed that Dey was bumped off at the behest of Rajan.
Rajan, who was arrested in Bali on his arrival from Australia on October 25, 2015 and flown to Delhi two days later, is the alleged key conspirator behind Dey’s murder.
On June 8 2014, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here on Monday had framed charges against the 10 accused, including an arrested fellow reporter Jigna Vora, in the case.
The court had charged the ten accused with having not only been a part of the underworld gang run by Chhota Rajan, but executed the conspiracy hatched by the fugitive gangster to eliminate Dey.
Initially, 10 persons were arrested in connection with the case and chargesheeted. Jigna was arrested on November 25, 2011. Jigna was charge-sheeted was subsequently. Of the total 11 accused, one accused Vinod Chembur alias Vinod Asrani, a real estate dealer and a bookie from Chembur, who was the main financer and co-conspirator, passed away on April 11 this year following multiple ailments.
On December 3, 2011, the police had filed a 3,055 page charge-sheet against 12 accused in the case, including Rajan and another absconding accused Nayansingh Pratapsingh Bisht who, along with another accused, had made available 0.32 bore US-made US revolver used in the crime.
Vora’s name did not figure in the first charge-sheet. On February 21, 2012, the crime branch police filed a supplementary charge-sheet in the court, including Vora’s name in the list of accused in the case and specifying her role in the crime.
