For journalist Jyotirmoy Dey’s murder, CBI to charge Chhota Rajan

”We have gathered new evidence with which we want to confront Rajan. The Special CBI Court in Mumbai has allowed us to question him,” said a senior CBI officer.

”Rajan has claimed innocence in the case and distanced himself from allegations that he ordered the murder. Whenever we have asked him about the calls he made to another accused, a female journalist, he has refused to speak. But the material evidence collected by us is sufficient to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the killing was ordered by him,” said sources.

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The accused journalist, Jigna Vora, has also claimed innocence. “She was in touch with Rajan for a long time, but there was a sudden rise in calls between the two before and after the murder. She said that she had made those calls in the capacity of a journalist covering the underworld. However, she has not been able to give a satisfactory reply on emails sent by her to Rajan or the sudden rise in calls,” said an officer.

Jyotirmoy Dey, or J Dey, a senior journalist with the tabloid Mid-Day and The Indian Express earlier, was shot dead by four unidentified gunmen near his residence at Hiranandani Gardens in Powai on June 11, 2011. At the time, police attributed the motive to two articles written by Dey that reportedly showed Rajan in “poor light”.

Vora was arrested in November 2011 by Mumbai Crime branch and charged under various sections of the IPC, including murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, and provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and Arms Act.

CBI sources said they will also record the statements of police officers who probed the case. “This is a general procedure followed in any case that is re-investigated by the agency,” they said.

Rajan was arrested in Bali while travelling on a fake passport from Australia. A 36-member Mumbai Police team is assisting the CBI in its probe against the gangster.