The 44-year-old, who ran a local newspaper, was found brutally stabbed outside a bar the police had raided hours ago; cops had called him to the police station after two journalists were attacked outside the bar
A journalist was murdered and two others were attacked after police raided a bar in Mira Road in the wee hours of Friday. According to the police, the deceased scribe would pass on information to them about irregularities and illicit bars in the area. The Kanakia police in Mira Road have arrested six people in the case.
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Raghvendra Dubey (inset) was found dead near White House Bar, 50 metres away from a police chowky. Pic/PTI
The deceased has been identified as Raghvendra Dubey (44), who used to run a local newspaper called Khushbu Ujala in Mira Road. At around 1.30 am on Friday, two other reporters, Santosh Mishra (44) and Shashi Sharma (49), reached White House Bar in Mira Road (East) to cover a police raid. Mishra works with newspaper Mumbai Headlines while Sharma is from Dabang Khabre.
Santosh Mishra (left) and Shashi Sharma, the two injured reporters, alleged that four cops saw them being attacked but did not intervene
According to police sources, when Mishra reached the spot, about 10 people started assaulting him. When he screamed for help, a group of 30 waiters and other staffers allegedly came out of the bar and joined the attack.
Meanwhile, Sharma also reached the scene. The goons caught him and thrashed him as well. Another local reporter, Anil Nautiyal, was also there but managed to flee.
While Sharma managed to somehow escape, Mishra alleged that he was locked in the bar and was only released in the morning. Both got themselves admitted to a hospital and alleged that Police Sub-Inspector Divakar and three constables from Kanakia police station were witness to the assault, but did nothing.
“PSI Divakar was present at the spot and could have saved us from being thrashed,” alleged Sharma, who sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Municipal Hospital, while Mishra is admitted at Bhaktivedanta Hospital.
After the raid
Police had detained several persons from the bar and had taken them to Kanakia police station. Deputy Superintendent of Police Suhas Bawache had also contacted Dubey, informing him that the two journalists had been attacked.
Dubey then reached the Kanakia police station. According to police sources, Dubey reached the police station around 2 am – at a time when the group of people from the bar had been taken into custody and were on the same premises.
According to sources, Dubey had been passing on information to the police about irregularities in the area and was also in touch with senior police officials. He would regularly complain to the police about illicit bars and the activities going on inside.
Police said Dubey left the police station at 5 am. At 5.30 am, cops got a call that a body had been found near White House Bar. When cops reached the spot, they were shocked to see that Dubey had been brutally stabbed to death; the body also had head injuries.
'Could’ve saved him'
Injured reporter Sharma said he had also received a call from Dubey at 5.03 am, which he couldn’t answer as he was in the hospital and undergoing treatment. Dubey’s brother Manoj told mid-day that when he saw the body, the penis had been chopped off.
The deceased’s family, who were handed over the body yesterday, has been alleging that Dubey could’ve been saved, had the police taken appropriate action. Police sources said that had the cops taken precaution when PSI Divakar had seen the assault, they could’ve alerted Dubey about the same.
The spot where Dubey was found is barely 50 metres away from a police chowky. Police are searching for the weapons with which he was killed and also Dubey’s belt, which is missing.
Cop speak
According to sources, police have arrested six accused in the case, which includes Ganesh Kamath, the bar owner, and the bar manager. “Six accused have been arrested under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 395 (dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation will be also done by local Crime Branch,” said Rajesh Pradhan, superintendent of police, Thane rural.
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