Woman scribe held in J Dey murder case

---- EDITORS NOTE ----- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / MID DAY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS This handout picture released by Mid Day on June 11, 2011 shows senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, 56, during the launch of his book Zero Dial in Mumbai on August 10, 2010. Dey, A senior investigative journalist who extensively covered underworld and crime for over two decades, was shot dead June 11 in broad daylight by gunmen on motorcycle, a report said. Dey was riding his motorcycle when he was gunned down in a daring attack that shocked the media fraternity. AFP PHOTO / HO / MID DAY

The Mumbai police on Friday arrested a woman journalist in connection with the murder of MiD-Day reporter J. Dey.

Jigna Jitendra Vora (37), Deputy Bureau Chief of The Asian Age, was held on charges of criminal conspiracy and murder. The police also slapped charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on her. The special MCOCA court remanded her in police custody till December 1. This is the 11th arrest in the case.

“Arrest is not the indication of her guilt. We have to do custodial interrogation on the basis of prima facie evidence. The remand is to facilitate investigation,” Mumbai Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik told a press conference here.

“We believe in her innocence. She is a woman of integrity. We stand by her. Let the truth come out in the court,” said Hussain Zaidi, Resident Editor of The Asian Age . He was by her side when she was brought to the MCOCA court.

“The accused parted with vital information to the organised underworld crime syndicate,” public prosecutor Dilip Shah said in the court. Crime Branch sources said they found contradictions in her statements.Mr. Shah argued that Ms. Vora had overstepped her limits as a journalist. He said she passed on vital information about the deceased to the fugitive gangster Chhota Rajan, and was thus instrumental in the commission of the murder.

Even as they were probing the possible motives behind the attack on Dey, who was shot dead by four assailants in June this year, the police were dwelling deep into the question of beneficiaries of the killings.

“She is a well-known journalist and also law student. She has parted [with] information. She has every knowledge of whom she is parting the information with. She knows the consequences also,” Mr. Shah said.

He said custodial interrogation was essential. “We have to find out the instruments used to part with the information on J. Dey's photo, vehicle number, email ID and movements.” When the police questioned her previously, she gave misleading information as “she was aware that she was not in custody,” he said.

He said Ms. Vora was in touch with many members of the organised crime syndicate.

However, Ms. Vora's counsel Girish Kulkarni argued that the police allegations were far-fetched and without any material evidence. He said the police had arrested her as a safeguard.