12 June,2011 07:31 AM IST | | Team SMD
Special Investigations Editor for MiD DAY, Jyotirmoy Dey, was killed in broad daylight at 2.55 pm on Saturday by four men on bikes, while on his way home. Not only has the media fraternity lost a brilliant journalist, but Dey's death raises serious questions about the power of an ugly and unforgiving underworld
MiD DAY Special Investigations Editor Jyotirmoy Dey (56), who wrote under the byline J Dey, was shot dead by four men on two motorbikes at 2.55 pm on Saturday afternoon, at Powai.
Dey, was shot at nine times in front of D-Mart, a supermarket store, in Hiranandani, Powai. He was riding his motorbike, when four men, suspected to be between the age of 25-30 years according to eyewitness accounts, shot at him.
Dey was on his way from Hiranandani to his home in Amrut Nagar,
Ghatkopar when he was shot at by four assailants. Dey fell off his
motorbike to the side of the road, and was helped on to the pavement
by pedestrians. The men fired at least nine times at Dey, and some
bullets hit the wall (near the bike). pic/datta kumbhar
The police cordon off the area opposite D-Mart and Spectra Call Centre
in Hiranandani, Powai where Mid day journalist J Dey was shot at by
four men riding motorbikes. The police have found an eyewitness who
will help them make a sketch of one of the assailants. The police have
also recovered CCTV footage from the supermarket.
Jt Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy (facing camera) told
Sunday MiD DAY that special teams will investigate the case.
Dey was on his way from Hiranandani to his home in Amrut Nagar, Ghatkopar.
Dey was hit by four bullets, and fell off his motorbike to the side of the road, while his assailants, one of whom was wearing a blue windcheater, according to an eyewitness, fled the scene.
Four pedestrians brought Dey, who was badly injured but still alive to the pavement, and took him to Siddharth Hospital nearby. The hospital however, refused to admit him, since it was a police case. Dey was then taken to the Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.u00a0
Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik addressed a press conference at Powai police station last night, and said that the investigations are on. "But one thing is clear. This looks like the work of an organised crime syndicate," he said.
Additional Commissioner of Police for Western Region Vishwas Nagre Patil and Joint Commissioner of Police Law and Order Rajnish Seth visited the spot. Dey's bike had been shifted to the pavement.
Minutes after Dey was shot, journalists in MiD DAY and other media agencies began receiving calls, andu00a0 journalists rushed to the spot.
Two MiD DAY journalists visited the spot and tried to piece the story together from police officials and eye witnesses present. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy told them, "We have formed special teams and are working on some clues."
An eyewitness has helped the police make a sketch of the murderers, while another told a news channel that he heard three shots. Meanwhile, the cops have procured CCTV footage from the Closed-Circuit televisions placed on the gates of D-Mart and the Spectra Call Centre office, situated across the road.
The police will also trace the calls made on Dey's cellphone that was recovered from the scene of the crime.
Police sources told MiD DAY that the crime hints at the fact that Dey's killers were keeping an eye on him for some time.
The journalist's body was taken to the Nagpada Police Hospital where 25 x-rays were conducted. The body underwent post mortem on Saturday night at the JJ Hospital, and will be cremated today. Prima facie investigations revealed that Dey sustained injuries on the upper left side of his body.
A meeting of journalists took place at the Marathi Patrakar Sangh at VT on Saturday at 8 pm. The journalists called for the resignation of Patnaik and Home Minister R R Patil, and condemned the killing of Dey. They also said that they would hold a protest march to the Mantralaya on Monday.
As the news of his death spread, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook were abuzz with vociferous comments critiquing the Mumbai police and the oil mafia, whom many suspect, have a hand in Dey's death.
Former editors who had worked with Dey in The Indian Express and the Hindustan Times, also tweeted about their experience of working with the seasoned crime reporter, who had written two books on the underworld mafia gangs.
