Reporter on mafia shot dead
A veteran journalist, Jyotirmoy Dey (57), editor (crime and investigations) at the tabloid Mid-Day, was shot dead near his residence in Powai by four unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants on Saturday afternoon.
This is the third time that a journalist has been killed in cold blood in Mumbai. The Pathan mafia killed crime reporters M.P. Iyer in 1970 and Iqbal Natiq in 1977.
Saturday’s incident took place when Dey, who was on a motorcycle himself, was returning to his residence at Shiv Bhagtani Manor in Powai after visiting his mother, who lives at Amrut Nagar in Ghatkopar. Dey was heading for a shop before reaching his house to photocopy documents for an official visit abroad.
According to the police, four assailants on two motorcycles rushed at Dey as he was crossing Crisel House in the Hiranandani area of Powai and one of them shot him four times at point blank range. The four attackers then fled the spot. Passersby immediately informed the police and Dey was rushed to Hiranandani Hospital where doctors declared him dead before admission. He had sustained nine injuries to his chest and hands. His body has been sent to J.J. Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Dey, who reported extensively on the underworld for the last two decades, had recently carried out a series of exposés on the oil mafia.
Mumbai commissioner of police Arup Patnaik said, “It is very premature to say whether the incident is a fallout of any personal conflict or involvement of any oil mafia. Looking at the attack, this seems to be the handiwork of trained men. We are waiting for the ballistic reports to ascertain the make and model of the weapon used by the shooter and the exact number of bullets that were fired.”
Mr Patnaik expressed grief at the senior journalist’s death. “Many of my officers and I knew him personally. He had done several brilliant stories that have helped the police a lot. But he never spoke about any threat to his life. The Mumbai police will work in coordination with the crime branch to solve his murder,” he said.
A few eyewitnesses have come forward to aid the police, which will prepare the sketches of the assailants based on the descriptions they provide. The police will also examine the CCTV footage from the cameras installed at the signals and entrances of the malls in the Powai area.
Reacting to the incident, state home minister R.R. Patil said the killing is being taken “very seriously”. “This incident is shocking and we will make sure that the assailants are arrested,” he said.
The Maharashtra home minister also appealed to crime reporters to inform the police immediately if they receive any threats. “To avoid such incidents in the future, we appeal to all crime reporters to come forward and inform the police immediately in such cases,” he said.
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