Dey murder case: Cops still waiting for forensic reports

A year after senior crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey was gunned down, the Mumbai Police are still awaiting reports from the forensic laboratory on the analysis of mobile phones, memory cards and computers allegedly used by journalist Jigna Vora, who was arrested in connection with the murder.

The investigators say that they have requested the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory to prepare the reports and hand them over at the earliest.

"We will try to get the reports before the trial commences in the case," said a Crime Branch official.

The official added that they had sufficient and concrete evidence against Vora and other arrested accused.

"The forensic reports will further strengthen the case and not contradict the evidence we gathered earlier," the officer added.

The Crime Branch had seized seven mobile phones, some SIM cards and memory cards, a laptop and an office computer that were allegedly used by Vora at different times that led to the killing.

The FSL officials said the delay was owing to a huge backlog of cases pending with the laboratory.

In February this year, the Mumbai Police had filed a supplementary charge-sheet against Vora, deputy chief of bureau of The Asian Age, for her alleged role in the murder.

The police cited "strong" circumstantial, electronic and testimonial evidences.

Dey, a senior investigating editor with the tabloid MiD Day, was shot dead on June 11 last year in Powai. Vora was arrested on November 25 and has been in jail since then.

The scribe was allegedly shot dead on the orders of underworld don Chhota Rajan, who allegedly gave Rs 5 lakh to the accused for the contract killing.

The police claimed that professional rivalry between Vora and Dey was the reason for the latter's murder. Vora provoked Rajan, who conspired and killed Dey, police said.

The accused against whom the charge-sheet had been filed last December were Rohee Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia.

All of them are in custody under MCOCA charges. Rajan and his aide Nayan Singh Bisht were shown as absconding.