Did letter to CP lead to death?

Sources claim sailor Debashish Dey sent whistle-blowing correspondence to the police revealing nexus between crew and diesel mafia

Did letter to CP lead to death?

Sources claim sailor Debashish Dey sent whistle-blowing correspondence u00a0to the police revealing nexus between crew and diesel mafia

Days after the mysterious disappearance of radio officer Debashish Dey from a boat, it has come to the fore that a letter sent by him to the commissioner of police outlining the nexus between the crew and the mafia may have been the cause of his death.

A few officials from the company owning the ship Shivam, a boat used to transport technical crew from one platform to the other, at Bombay High, were also questioned but were let off, as the police did not have corroborative evidence, said a source.

Insiders believe that Dey's disappearance is the handiwork of the diesel mafia because Dey was a whistle-blower.

However, the matter was hushed up, as a senior officer from Indian Registry of Shipping a regulatory board was also a secret partner in the shipping company that owns Shivam.

When MiD DAY contacted Dey's family, they were still gripped by the shock. A relative said they were still not aware how Dey died and the police had not even provided them with any kind of information.
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"I spoke to him a few weeks before his death. He did not tell me anything about the mafia. The police should investigate the matter thoroughly," said Deepa, the victim's sister. She said they have received no intimation from the police or the employers.

While the family still grieves, the Yellow Gate police have claimed that 24-year-old Dey fell off the deck of the ship while urinating ('Sailor fell off the deck while urinating', February 21).

However, there are some facts about the case that offer a reason for suspicion. Sources close to Dey's family say that the vessel was allowed to sail again without any evidence being collected.

The Director General of Shipping, the apex body governing the shipping industry in the country has yet to launch an investigation into Dey's death.

Why the Diesel Mafia?
Sources believe that Dey's disappearance can be attributed to the diesel mafia because they would go to any extent to protect the business. A glaring case in point is police informer Salim Langda who was crushed under a truck for tipping-off the crime branch about the diesel mafia's offshore operations in 2008. According to sources, hafta is distributed among port, law enforcement officials and the police. Senior officers have been transferred for having links with the diesel mafia in the past, but the clandestine business continues.