J Dey murder: Businessman's statement to be recorded

Police will soon record the statement of an arrested businessman, who had met senior crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey a few days before his murder.Nihal P Tanna was arrested yesterday during a 'nakabandi' for cheating and also under the Arms Act. He was carrying a loaded 0.32 bore revolver and travelling in a white Swift car, which had a sign indicating that it was a police vehicle, police said.Speculation was rife that Tanna had been picked up as a suspect in Dey's murder. However, police denied this, and clarified that he was held in another case.Deputy commissioner of police Ambadas Pote said, "Tanna has shown the licence for his revolver. Now Vakola police will drop the charges under the Arms Act against him. But the cheating case would be there as he was travelling in a car which had a sign indicating that it was a police vehicle."However, the crime branch, probing the murder case, will record the statement of Tanna, who was also an informer of the 56-year-old journalist, who was shot dead on June 11."We will record his statement as he met Dey a few days before the latter's murder. His statement may help us in the case," said joint police commissioner (crime) Himanshu Roy said.Dey, editor (special investigation) with Mid-Day, who extensively covered underworld and crime for over two decades, was shot dead by four motorbike-borne assailants in suburban Powai.