Two weeks after crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead, Maharashtra Govt has said the murder case has been cracked with the arrest of seven persons from the state and Tamil Nadu.
Home Minister R R Patil said three people were arrested from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, one from Solapur and three from Mumbai.
"All the seven hail from Maharashtra," he said in Mumbai on Monday.
"Mumbai police commissioner and joint commissioner of police have informed me about the development," Patil said.
He identified two of the accused as Satish Kalya and Anil Waghmode.
Chhota Rajan ordered J Dey's killing: Police
Mumbai police claimed that underworld don Chhota Rajan was behind the murder, even as they remained tight-lipped about the motive.
Addressing reports Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said, "the murder was planned by Rohit Thangappan alias Satish Kalya at the behest of Chhota Rajan. Kalya is a known shooter of Rajan gang and has worked for him earlier too,"
"While three persons were arrested from Mumbai, three were arrested from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and one from Solapur," he said.
According to police, Kalya had received a call from Chhota Rajan around 20 days before June 11, the day when Dey was shot dead.
"Rajan told Kalya he needs him to do a job and that money and weapons would be provided. Kalya then collected Rs two lakh from Chembur and the murder weapon along with 25 rounds of cartridges from Nainital," Roy said.
The police have recovered the murder weapon. All the seven arrested in the case were produced before a local court which remanded them to police custody till 4th July.
Roy further said that Rajan had kept the identity of the target a secret but had given description of the victim and his bike number a week before the killing.
"Rajan had told Kalya, the target would be found either in Arel (where Mid-Day office is located) or in Pia, where Dey stays.
On 9th and 10th June, Kaila along with his associate Anil Waghmode had formed a team of seven persons, tried to spot Dey in Powai area but failed.
On 11th June, they spotted him and Kalya, who was riding pillion, fired five rounds at Dey," Roy said.
J Dey (56), working with the city-based English tabloid Mid Day, was shot dead by four motorcycle-borne assailants in suburban Powai on 11th June.
Dey was shot at from close range, reportedly by professionals, and a total of 5 bullets entered his body.
The murder of the veteran scribe had sent shockwaves and the Mumbai police were probing the case from all angles.
The police had also examined Dey's laptop and a hard disk besides some important documents to get a lead in the sensational murder.
Various journalists' associations have been demanding a CBI probe, but it was ruled out by the Maharashtra government.
The Bombay High Court had recently directed the police to file a report by 6th July on the progress of investigations into Dey's murder.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Anil Mahabole, who was in-charge of Azad Maidan division in south Mumbai, was also shunted out to the Local Arms Control Room in suburban Naigaon after his name cropped up in the case.
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