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Journalism of Courage
Chhota Rajan had taken care to ensure that his aide Vinod Asrani alias Vinod Chembur,the man who had a meeting with J Dey a few days before his murder,did not meet Satish Kalia,the shooter who carried out the hit on the veteran investigative journalist.
Mumbai Police Crime Branch investigators joining the dots to reconstruct the events leading up to Deys daylight killing on June 11 said that the fugitive gangster had set up the meeting between Asrani and the reporter in such a way that two members of the hit squad but not the shooter Kalia himself could get a good look at their target.
It was one of these men,Anil Wagmode,who allegedly pointed Dey out to Kalia on the day of the murder.
Neither Wagmode nor his companion Arun Dake knew Asrani. But they had been told that their target would be a man who would come to meet another man in a white BMW. They also knew that the target was a tall man,and they had his motorcycle number.
We have found that Rajan had told Anil Wagmode and Arun Dake that a person would come in a white BMW to the Uma Palace bar, said a senior Crime Branch officer. Rajan,the officer said,had issued strict instructions to Asrani that he should go for the June 7 meeting with Dey at the Mulund bar in that particular vehicle.
The bar is for members only. Asrani is a member,and he had instructed the person at the door to call him when Dey and his companion arrived, said the officer. This was the signal to Wagmode and Dake,who were waiting outside. They saw Asrani greet Dey and identified him as their target.
The officer said that Rajan did not want the paths of Asrani and Kalia to cross. The other two,however,did see Asrani and also identified him for us.
Dey and Asrani spoke for around two hours,with Dey finally leaving at around 12.45 am. It is not known what they discussed,the officer said. But we are trying to get Asrani to talk. Dake and Wagmode left before Dey.
The police have taken the statement of the journalist who accompanied Dey to the bar. Crime Branch officers said they could provide protection to the journalist who is now a witness in the case if he wants.
Officers interrogating the eight arrested men said the mens loyalty to Rajan was apparent. They are very loyal to him. If he says something they will do it. There is no questioning either Kalia or Asranis loyalty, said an officer.
Police are trying to figure out how Rajan got to know the number of Deys motorcycle. He could not have done this by himself. We are trying to locate who did this for him. Finding that person will be crucial, the officer said.
The tour guide who took Dey around on his visit to London a few days before his murder is expected to arrive in the city soon. His statement will help us. We asked him to identify who Dey spoke to during his trip. He is expected in Mumbai in a day or two, the officer said.
Investigators have so far found no pictures from the trip.
