CBI takes over J Dey murder probe

The murder of Mid-Day crime and investigation editor 56-year old Jyotirmoy Dey was one of the prominent cases in which gangster Chhota Rajan's hand was suspected.

Journalist Jyotirmoy Dey Dey was shot dead by motorcycle-borne shooters on June 11, 2011. File photo

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday officially took over the investigation in the murder of veteran journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011.

The development comes around two months after gangster Rajendra Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan was arrested in Bali and brought back to India. The Maharashtra government had declared that investigation of all cases against Rajan would be handled by the CBI, and had issued a notification to the effect shortly thereafter.

“We have filed

>a fresh FIR in the case and have taken over the case registered with the Powai police in 2011. The documents pertaining to the case have been handed over to us,” said a CBI official.

The official said Rajan has not been named as an accused in the case as yet.

“The case that we have registered is for murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code along with relevant sections of the Arms Act. The investigation into Rajan’s involvement in the offence begins afresh from now. Further course of action will be decided based on the results of this investigation,” the officer said.

> Read: The killing of a crime reporter

The Maharashtra police have a total of 71 cases registered against Rajan, 68 of them in Mumbai, under various laws such as the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. The CBI will soon start taking over the other cases one by one, said officers.

Rajan was arrested in Bali on October 25 after spending 27 years on the run.