'Rajan suspected J Dey was leaking info to rival gangs'

The Maharashtra government for the first time has revealed the 'real motive' behind ace crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey being killed by gangsters on the orders of underworld don Chhota Rajan.

Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said on Monday, "Now we all know that the J Dey was murdered by Chhota Rajan as he suspected that he was passing on information to rival gangs."

"However, J Dey was a clean guy and the finances of his house were not so good," Patil added.

J Dey, a crime reporter working for Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day, was killed on June 11 at suburban Powai by the gangsters contracted by Rajan.

Dey, 56, was shot dead by four motorcycle-borne assailants in suburban Powai on June 11. Police have arrested Rohee Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalya and his associates Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia.

Rajan had also paid Rs 5 lakh to Rohee Thangappan Joseph to pursue the crime.

Patil had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh to the Mumbai police crime branch for having cracked the case in three weeks.

Image: Journalist J Dey