The Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra government to submit its investigation file into the death of journalist J Dey after receiving two petitions on the matter.
The move indicates that the Court may supervise the investigation or order a CBI inquiry into the matter.
Two public interest petitions, both by journalists and two intervention petitions by Journalists’ Association in the city, had urged the Court to look into the matter, a day after the Maharashtra government was forced to let off two people arrested in connection with the investigation.
The petitions were filed by two journalists VP Patil and Ketan Tirodkar seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
J Dey, arguably the most accomplished investigative crime reporter in the country, was shot dead near his home five days ago.
Tirodkar, in his petition alleged that investigation of the matter by the Mumbai police cannot be seen as fair as the latter faced a conflict of interest. J Dey, he pointed out, had been investigating links between the police and the under world. The whislte-blower also claimed to have submitted more evidence in this regard to the Court.
Tirodkar alleged that the Police was divided into two factions — those supporting underworld don Chhota Shakeel and those supporting Chhota Rajan. “These factions have been operating for decades, and matters in Mumbai’s real estate industry are settled in connivance,” he said.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister had yesterday appealed for some time to let the state police probe the matter, pointing out that handing it over to the CBI will affect the force’s morale.
