Who killed our J Dey?

It's a question that the Mumbai Police and state administration will have to find an answer to. But, have our democratic institutions eroded so much that even the media, supposedly free, is unable to do its job?

It's a question that the Mumbai Police and state administration will have to find an answer to. But, have our democratic institutions eroded so much that even the media, supposedly free, is unable to do its job?

Note from the editor

Journalism is a frighteningly lonely profession. Journalists work in teams, but when it comes to taking responsibility for their work, they stand alone in the firing line.



Jyotirmoy Dey, MiD DAY's crime and investigations editor, was a journalist in the truest sense of the word. He was fearless (so fearless that his fearlessness often scared me); he was honest; his integrity was beyond reproach and just about everyone he worked with treated him as a friend, not a colleague.

That friend was killed on Saturday afternoon by four unknown assailants outside his home in Powai, north-central Mumbai. He was 56.

Who killed him, and why they killed him are tough questions that the Mumbai Police and the state administration will have to find answers to. But more important is the question: have our democratic institutions eroded to an extent that even the nation's media, reportedly free, is unable to do its job without having hit jobs ordered on its professionals?

It is evident that Dey was a victim of his fearless journalism. But it would be improper to speculate on the circumstances that led to his murder. Admittedly, we live in times where hyperbole and dangerous conjecture, and not level-headed and thorough analysis, is the norm. Therefore, it is imperative that we let the police conduct their investigation without being pressured by guessing games.

At MiD DAY, the best tribute we can pay Dey is to continue being fearless in our quest for top-quality investigative journalism.
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Dey was alone in that firing line. Our job will be to ensure that he was the last journalist to be there.

Sachin Kalbag, Executive Editor

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