The arrest of journalist Jigna Vora remains the most controversial aspect of the J Dey murder investigation.
The police picked up Vora almost four months after the murder and had at that time claimed that they had ample evidence to present a watertight case against the accused. However a year later, there are still several questions that remain unanswered. Here are a few of the reasons why the police believe that Vora had a part to play in the case.
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Jigna Vora is accused of having passed on Dey’s bike registration number, his home and office addresses to Rajan, who allegedly ordered the hit at her instigation
Chhota Rajan’s TV interview:
In an interview given to a television channel gangster Chhota Rajan claimed that Vora had instigated him. In the interview Rajan appeared to repent what he had done. Moreover, many of his close aides, including Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodiya — who handled his operations in Mumbai — have been placed behind bars, thanks to this case. This has affected Rajan’s financial condition, according to sources.
Phone conversations:
The police had intercepted a conversation between Manoj (Vinod Chembur’s relative) and Rajan, where he names Vora. When we asked the police involved with the case how they were able to intercept such a ‘useful’ conversation the same day they got the required sanctions, there was nonchalance. “There is nothing coincidental about it. Can you rule out the possibility that there were other more incriminating conversations that took place before the phone was tapped?” they said.
Vora called Rajan:
The police claim that shortly before the murder Vora had called Rajan, ostensibly for an interview. So what did the police consider unusual about a reporter calling a newsmaker for an interview, when so many journalists had called Rajan in the past? A police officer said, “It is a question of proximity, of a chain of events. She was one of the last people to speak to him before the murder. Suppose there are five persons in a room, and one of them turns up dead. You immediately suspect the other four. It’s the same thing.”
Family holiday:
Vora had left Mumbai before the murder for a family holiday, and refused to answer calls or reply to SMSes informing her of Dey’s demise. In her defence, there is nothing particularly bizarre about this. Ultimately, the courts will decide whether or not to give Vora the benefit of the doubt.
Professional rivalry:
The police claim that Vora had a rivalry with Dey, and they carried conflicting stories about the present location of fugitive Dawood Ibrahim. But
then, how does carrying conflicting stories amount to a ‘rivalry’?
The officer added, “The truth is, it happens all the time. Just as police informers are valuable to cops, sources are valuable to journalists. Just as a cop resents it when his informant starts helping other policemen, there is resentment when a source feeds stories to rival journalists. This is what happened between Dey, Vora and (Rajan aide) Farid Tanasha.”u00a0
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