Mumbai police on verge of cracking J. Dey murder case

Mumbai, June 15 (IANS) Five days after the sensational daylight killing of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, Mumbai police appeared on the verge of a breakthrough in the case investigations here Wednesday.

While the organised underworld mafia is reported to be involved, Mumbai police and the state government have chosen to keep the probe outcome under the wraps for the present.

According to officially unconfirmed reports, at least three people have been detained in connection with Dey's killing.

Despite repeated attempts, top police and home department officials steadfastly refused to confirm or deny the latest developments.

The detained trio - including two from Mumbai-Thane region and one from Pune - are being interrogated to ascertain their role and motives in the shocking killing which created a nationwide furore.

Dey, 56, the editor-investigations of tabloid Mid Day, was shot dead Saturday afternoon at Powai, northeast Mumbai, by four unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants.

Though the trio are said to belong to a particular mafia gang, it is expected that the police may formally announce the developments Thursday.

Both Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R.R. Patil Wednesday indicated that 'the police have made a breakthrough into the Dey killing probe', but declined to elaborate on the issue.

All top police officials involved in directing the investigations of the five special teams set up to probe the case - Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, and Joint Police Commissioners Himanshu Roy (Crime) and Rajnish Sheth (Law & Order) - remained out of bounds to all media queries.

A top home department official told IANS in the evening that 'any information in this case would be given only by the Mumbai police at the appropriate time.'

After a briefing by Patnaik, Home Minister Patil remarked: 'The probe is on track, but we cannot say anything on this today.'

Earlier in the evening, Himanshu Roy, along with Additional Police Commissioner-Crime Deven Bharati visited the office of Additional Police Commissioner (Western Region) Vishwas Nagre-Patil at the Powai police station.

What transpired there with reference to the Dey probe is still not known officially.