Journalist J. Dey murder: Summons to witnesses for recording evidence

A month after charges were framed against 10 witnesses in the journalist J. Dey murder case, a special court here on Monday issued summons to them for recording of evidence.

The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Special Court issued summons to the witnesses who will soon depose as prosecution witnesses.

The charges against the accused, including journalist Jigna Vora, were framed before Special Judge A.L. Pansare on June 8, under various sections of the Indian laws and other statutory provisions, including conspiring to kill Dey near his home in Powai on June 11, 2011, among others.

Vora, who has been charged with leaking key details like the number plate of Dey's motorcycle, his address and other details to absconding mafia don Chhota Rajan and his henchmen, was arrested in November 2011 and secured bail in July 2012.

In December 2011, police had filed a charge sheet against the other 10 main accused, and later a separate charge sheet was filed against Vora.

Among other things, police claimed in the charge sheet that Vora instigated Rajan to eliminate Dey owing to her professional rivalry with him.

Rajan was reportedly upset with Dey for certain articles he had penned which portrayed the mafia don in a negative light and he (Rajan) ordered his (Dey's) killing.

The other accused in the charge sheet are Paulson Joseph, Deepak Sisodia, Satish Kalia, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaekwad, Anil Waghmore, Nilesh Shendge and Mangesh Agawane.

Two other wanted accused -- Rajan and co-conspirator Narayan Bish -- are absconding, while another accused Vinod Asrani, a bookie, died recently.

Dey, the investigations editor of Mumbai evening daily Mid-Day, was shot five times by two motorcycle-riding assailants near his home in suburban Powai on the morning of June 11, 2011.