Mahabole was questioned for five hours yesterday and he could be questioned again if required, police said today. The ACP is reported to have said he has nothing to do with the attack in suburban Powai on June 11.
A senior police officer Anil Mahabole was grilled by cops in connection with the murder of investigative journalist J Dey even as the probe showed no signs of a breakthrough eight days after the killing.
Mahabole was questioned for five hours yesterday and he could be questioned again if required, police said today. The ACP is reported to have said he has nothing to do with the attack in suburban Powai on June 11.
Police meanwhile said the anonymous phone call from Yemen claiming that Indian Mujahideen (IM) was behind the murder could be a hoax.
"The probe indicates it was a hoax call. But we want to double check before coming to a conclusion that it was a hoax call. We are in touch with the authorities of Yemen," a senior police officer said.
Yesterday, an anonymous caller phoned at the police control room from Yemen claiming that the IM had hired shooters from Hyderabad, Bihar and Srinagar and paid Rs4 lakh to kill Dey.
A top crime branch official said, "Mahabole was questioned for several hours yesterday. His statement was recorded and he was allowed to go. During the interrogation, Mahabole claimed that he had cordial relations with Dey and he had no role in the murder."
Crime branch sources said he was questioned for over five hours, during which, the ACP appeared tense and kept on repeating that he had nothing to do with the killing.
Mahabole had, in 2005, filed a criminal defamation case against Dey following his news report, in which, the ACP's reputation was allegedly put in a bad light, police said.
Speaking to PTI, Mahabole said, "I told the crime branch what I had to. I don't want to disclose as to what questions I was asked."
One more public interest litigation was filed in the Bombay high court, seeking CBI probe into the murder.
The PIL, filed by S Balakrishnan, editor of Deshbhakti Andolan Weekly, an English tabloid, on Saturday, will come up for hearing on June 21, along with other petitions, which are also seeking a CBI probe into Dey’s killing.
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