J Dey murder: Special CBI court to pass judgement on 11 facing trial in May

The square in Hiranandani Gardens in Powai, renamed J Dey Chowk as a tribute to the slain journalist, who was gunned down there in 2011.

A special CBI court will be delivering its judgment in the murder of mid-day's investigations editor Jyotirmoy Dey on May 2. Special CBI judge Sameer Adkar will pass the verdict against the 11 accused facing trial. Dey was shot dead in Powai on June 11, 2011.

So far, the prosecution has examined 155 witnesses, said special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat. Of the total 12 accused, 11 remain as one of them, Vinod Asrani, died during trial. Two accused - Nayansingh Bist (booked for procuring arms from Nainital) and Ravi Rattesar (booked for giving SIM cards to other accused) - were shown as wanted; Rattesar was arrested recently and is likely to face trial separately.

The prosecution had started arguments on Jan 31 and completed them on Feb 22. The defence finished its arguments in the case, in which gangster Chhota Rajan has denied his role, on Tuesday.

J Dey

The accused
The 11 accused whose fate will be decided by the court are Satish Joseph, alias Satish Kalya, who shot five rounds at Dey; Anil Waghmode, Abhijit Shinde, Nilesh Shedge, alias Babloo, Arun Dake, Mangesh Agawane and Sachin Gaikwad, all involved in following Dey on motorcycles and conducting recces before the murder. Deepak Shisodia, booked for giving arms to Kalya and others. Polson Palitara, also out on bail, booked for taking SIM cards from Rattesar and giving it to the accused; ex-journalist Jigna Vora, out on bail, booked for being in contact with Rajan and complaining against Dey. Rajan is said to be the mastermind, who ordered Dey's killing.

In the court
The defence, during the trial, has maintained that there was no conspiracy, that the case is false, and all accused are innocent. Saying that the prosecution has failed to establish motive, it has also claimed that the revolver was planted, and that Rajan never confessed before journalists about killing Dey.

Gharat had argued that Rajan, after the murder, had given interviews to several media houses and admitted to ordering Dey's killing. The prosecution had also highlighted a phone conversation intercept of Rajan in which he reportedly admits that he gave the order to murder Dey as he (Dey) had crossed his limit. A voice sample of Rajan, taken while he was in Tihar jail, had matched with the intercept, Gharat had said.

Also read: Journalist J Dey murder case: Final arguments begin on Wednesday

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