Five days after the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, 56, the police on Wednesday detained two people, including an underworld shooter, only to release them late at night.
Five days after the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, 56, the police on Wednesday detained two people, including an underworld shooter, only to release them late at night. Reason for the release: no evidence against Anwar Shaikh alias Hatela and Mateen Shaikh alias Taklya.
Hatela of Mumbra’s Rashid compound and Taklya of Jogeshwari allegedly have links with Dawood Ibrahim aides Fahim Machmach and Chhota Shakeel. The police said they might question them again on Thursday.
Following the outrage over Dey’s murder in Powai last Saturday, the police activated its informant network. A source said two months ago, an informant had tipped Dey off about a sandalwood consignment belonging to Jafar Kasim of Mohd Ali Road. He later asked Dey not to go ahead with the story and offered him a portion of the money he was to receive from Kasim, who is now based in Dubai. Dey refused and started getting threat calls from Kasim, the source said. The police picked up the two to find out if Kasim had asked them to kill Dey.
“However, the informant later requested Dey not to go ahead with the story since Kasim had promised him Rs10 lakh. The informant also offered part of the sum to Dey,” an investigator told DNA. Dey refused the offer and said he would go ahead with the story. “Dey then received a threatening call from Kasim. We are investigating whether Kasim asked Mateen and Anwar to kill Dey,” the investigator added.
The police are also probing the possibility of the journalist being killed as Dey was providing inputs about Kasim’s illegal businesses, including smuggling of diesel, to the Intelligence Bureau. On the basis of the inputs, the police would then conduct raids on the oil mafia. “Kasim had also asked Dey to stop tipping off agencies about his business,” the officer said.
Mateen and Iqbal were on Wednesday kept in separate rooms at the Powai police station and questioned throughout the day in connection with Dey’s murder. “We are verifying their involvement in the crime,” joint commissioner of police, crime, Himanshu Roy said. Police commissioner Arup Patnaik met home minister RR Patil and briefed him on the issue. “Investigations are on and the probe is on the right track,” Patil said.
Shakeel, meanwhile, has denied that Mateen and Anwar, who has at least four cases registered against him in Antop Hill, are his footsoldiers. In a telephonic interview to a news channel, he said neither he nor his gang members are involved in Dey’s assassination. He further said that he has never attacked any media person or journalist and will never do so.
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