Dey murder: Scribes on relay hunger strike

Journalists associations in Mumbai began their relay hunger strike on Wednesday to press for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. On Monday, mediapersons had taken out a protest march to demand the immediate arrest of the killers.

The Maharashtra government had assured to accept their demand to bring in a law to protect journalists although it refused to hand over the probe to CBI, and said the Mumbai police should be given a fair chance to investigate the case.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had also refused to consider demand for resignation of Home Minister R R Patil and suspension of Mumbai police chief Arup Patnaik. In order to press for the pending demands, the scribes have decided to continue their agitation by resorting to a relay hunger strike.

Journalists sat on a chain hunger strike in the compound of Marathi Patrakar Bhavan at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. The Patrakar Hall Virodhi Kruti Samiti along with other associations are also participating in it.

Dey, who headed the crime bureau in MiD DAY tabloid, was shot dead by four unidentified gunmen at Hiranandani complex in suburban Powai on June 11.