Dey murder case cracked, seven in police custody

Hours after police announced that they had cracked the murder of investigating journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, a Mumbai court remanded the seven accused to police custody till July 4

Two weeks after crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead here, Mumbai policeu00a0today said the murder case has been cracked with the arrest of seven personsu00a0from across India.

Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik and Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner Himanshu Roy , addressed a press conference on the case on Monday.

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The seven men from the underworld who killed investigative reporter Jyotirmoy Dey had no idea who he was when they shot him dead, police said.

Himanshu Roy identified the man who fired the five bullets that killed Dey June 11 as Satish Kalia, a professional assassin who acted on the orders of underworld don Chhota Rajan.

Dey was a respected journalist who worked for Mid Day newspaper and specialised on the mafia. The daring afternoon murder triggered widespread protests, putting enormous strain on Mumbai Police.

But, even as they felled him, the killer gang of seven did not know who the victim was or why he was being killed, Roy quoted the arrested men as saying.

They panicked after realising that the victim was an ace journalist.

Roy said the gang members immediately split and dispersed to different parts of the country to escape the police dragnet.

The gang, Roy said, had carried out "a very professional job", having trailed Dey -- on the basis of the physical description given to them and the journalist's motorcycle registration number -- for days.

Six of the killers rode on three motorcycles while the seventh member was in a back-up van.

Roy told a news conference that Kalia, 34, used a Czech revolver and 25 "extremely deadly cartridges" that had been provided to him for the kill.

On June 11, it was Kalia who fired five bullets at Dey, one of which pierced his heart.

The first arrests were made in the temple town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, where three from the killer gang were caught.

Later, the others were picked up from other places, including Mumbai.

Police said they had seized the killer weapon and 10 mobile telephones from the gang.

Roy said police were initially met with dead ends and disappointments.

"It was a very coordinated and copy book operation. A job very, very well done, very professionally done."

Home Minister's statement
Maharashtra home ministeru00a0R R Patil said three people were arrested from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, one from Solapur and three from Mumbai. "All the seven hail from Maharashtra," he toldu00a0the media.

"Mumbai Police Commissioner and Joint Commissioner of Police have informed me about the development," Patil said. He identified two of the accused as Satish Kalya and Anil Waghmode. "I have announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for the Mumbai Crime Branch team for exemplary work they have done in the case," Patil said.

J Dey (56), working with the city-based English tabloid MiD DAY, was shot dead by four motorcycle-borne assailants in suburban Powai on June 11. Dey was shot at from close range, reportedly by professionals, and a total of 5 bullets entered his body.

The murder of the veteran scribe had sent shock waves and the Mumbai police were probing the case from all angles.

The police had also examined Dey's laptop and a hard disk besides some important documents to get a lead in the sensational murder.

Various journalists' associations have been demanding a CBI probe, but it was ruled out by the Maharashtra government.