J Dey murder verdict today, sister wants death penalty

MUMBAI: A day before a special court pronounces its

verdict

in the murder of journalist J Dey, his

sister Lina

hopes that the accused are convicted and sentenced to death. “I want...all the accused who aided and abetted in killing my brother get maximum punishment of death and nothing less than that. Only then will I find peace,” Lina told TOI.

Dey (51) was gunned down in Powai allegedly at the behest of don

Chhota Rajan

. Rajan was extradited to India in December 2015. Among 10 others who faced trial in the case are journalist Jigna Vora, who is suspected of having passed on Dey’s information to the gangster.

Describing the lasting impact of Dey’s untimely death, Lina said, “After my brother’s murder, my family has been ruined. Last year, my mother passed away as there was no one at home to rush her to hospital.” Lina said that even five years later, she has still not come to the terms with the reason behind the murder. “I have lost my will to live. I am only waiting for the court to announce the sentence and seek justice,” she said. Lina frequently reminisces about the times when Dey would come home late night on his bike. “No matter how late, my mother and I used to wait till Dey came home. With his death, everything has come to a standstill.”

The trial restarted after Rajan’s extradition. The CBI took over the case and a supplementary chargesheet was filed in 2016. The CBI said Dey was writing two books that not only showed Rajan in poor light, but also put arch rival Dawood Ibrahim on a higher pedestal. About 155 witnesses deposed, of which seven were declared hostile. Key witnesses were journalists to whom Rajan spoke after the murder.