There's more to Dey's murder than meets the eye, says city's ex-top cop

MUMBAI: Was J Dey's journalism the only reason for Chhota Rajan to order the hit against him? While the court has held that Dey's writings against Rajan led to his killing, the then Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik says there could be more to the crime.
Patnaik, who was under pressure to crack the case, told TOI on Wednesday, "We believe Dey was in touch with both gangs (Dawood and Rajan). There could be more to the motive for the murder."

Police officers had initially probed several theories. "One of them was that Dey was planning a big expose on IPL betting. There was also information that he had called Chhota Rajan to London while Dey was on a visit there. But Rajan did not go because his informers advised against it," an officer said. A witness had told the court Rajan suspected Dey was trying to "double-cross" him.

The police also looked at if sandalwood smugglers or the oil mafia were targeting Dey. "He had written about oil pilferage in the high seas," the officer said. The Vakola police had even arrested a businessman from Mira Road, who was found with an unlicensed revolver, and claimed to have cracked the case. "Dey had written against this businessman. But there was no substance in the theory," the officer said. The police had alleged in the chargesheet that in an article Dey wrote Rajan had grown old, and in another that Rajan's gang members had gone on a pilgrimage.

In a phone call to a TV reporter on July 1, 2011, Rajan, giving his reason for eliminating Dey, said the journalist was tarnishing his image. Relying on the reporter's statement, the court said the news was aired on the channel on several occasions for days. "It was seen and heard by viewers all over the world. Had the said news been fake, the channel would not have dared to telecast it," the court said in its verdict.