Dey killing: High Court rules out CBI probe

The Bombay high court on Monday dismissed a bunch of petitions seeking transfer of the investigations into the murder of senior journalist J Dey to the CBI. One of the petitioners, the Mumbai Press Club, is likely move the Supreme Court against the order.

A division bench of justices Ranjana Desai and RV More said, “Investigations carried out by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch is not lackadaisical and perfunctory. The allegation that Dey was silenced by the underworld and the Mumbai Police will not carry out an impartial investigation due to links with the underworld is general in nature.”

Dey was killed allegedly by gangster Chotta Rajan on June 11 in Powai. The crime branch has arrested eight shooters in the case. All have been charged under the Maharashtra Control of Ogranised Crime Act (MCOCA) and are presently in custody.

Ruling that the Dey murder case was not exceptional, the HC said, “Though we have power to transfer investigations to the CBI, this power has to be used sparingly and in exceptional cases.

Assuming that this case has not only national but  international ramifications, we do not feel that Mumbai Police cannot successfully investigate it.”

Meanwhile, the police custody of the four accused has been extended till July 22 while the remaining were remanded in judicial custody.