The Mumbai police cannot conduct an independent inquiry into the J Dey murder case as it is not in its interest to get to the bottom of the case, said petitioners before the Bombay high court on Wednesday.
The Mumbai police cannot conduct an independent inquiry into the J Dey murder case as it is not in its interest to get to the bottom of the case, said petitioners before the Bombay high court on Wednesday. They were arguing for the transfer of the investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).
Senior counsel Nawroz Serwai, representing the Mumbai Press Club that has filed the intervening application, said: “You are dealing with a case of national importance. It deserves a slightly heightened response. For almost a month since the filing of the petition, the state has not filed any reply either denying or accepting the allegations we have made. There have been several instances of the police being involved with underworld dons. They have been caught dancing at parties organised by them. This goes to show that no proper investigations can be conducted.”
Serwai added: “This is not a cold-blooded murder of a senior journalist but an attack on the fourth pillar of democracy. Trying to silence the press is an attack on the fundamental rights laid down by the Constitution.”
Similarly, former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, who has filed another application, said: “As per the police case, they have arrested gangster Chhota Rajan’s gang members. Weapons have been seized, showing the involvement of an organised crime syndicate. Why is the Mumbai Police not invoking provisions of the MCOCA?”
The division bench of justices Ranjana Desai and RV More said to advocate general Ravi Kadam appearing for the state government: “The petitioners’ point about policemen leaking unattributed information to the media will have to be looked into.” Until the investigation is over, the police should not divulge case details which can hamper the investigations, the court noted. The hearing has been adjourned till Thursday.
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