Thaindian News

Mumbai, Dec 1 (IANS) A special court here Thursday extended till Dec 5 the police custody of Jigna Vora, the woman journalist detained last week in the killing of fellow crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey, an official said.

Public prosecutor Dilip Shah, while moving the remand application before Special Judge S.M. Modak of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, sought another eight days’ police custody for Vora to enable police carry out more investigations in the case.

He said Vora had sold her mobile phone which she was using around the time Dey was killed and police wanted to trace it.

Police have also seized computer hard disks and other material from Vora which they wanted to investigate. Besides, police had taken custody of Paulson Joseph, a member of the absconding mafia don Chhota Rajan Nikhalje who had claimed responsibility for Dey’s killing.

Joseph is believed to have given an international mobile SIM card to Vora and some other accused, which were acquired from Dubai and the police wanted to confront the duo with the evidence.

However, the special judge granted police custody of Vora only till Dec 5.

Working as a deputy bureau chief with a Mumbai daily, Vora was arrested Nov 25 by the Crime Branch in connection with the June 11 killing of Dey, the editor (Special Investigations) at Mid-Day.

Dey was shot dead near his home in Powai in central Mumbai while he was riding home on his motorcycle.

Vora is among the 11 accused arrested in the case so far by the police.