By Indian Express

A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Monday framed charges in the J Dey murder case against 10 accused, including fellow journalist Jigna Vora named in the murder conspiracy. Dey was shot by assailants riding a motorcycle, four years ago.

The court will hear the case on June 18.

Special Judge AL Pansare read out the charges to all the accused, and they pleaded not guilty. They were charged with being part of the underworld gang run by fugitive gangster Chhota Rajan, and hatching a conspiracy to kill Dey.

The Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act and the MCOCA Act have been invoked against the 10 accused.
    
Dey, a senior journalist with Mid-Day, was shot dead in suburban Powai on June 11, 2011 by assailants who followed him on motorcycle. Police said the assailants were paid Rs 5 lakh to kill Dey. The chargesheet had named 11 persons, including Vora, as accused.

Vora has been accused of passing on information like number plate of Dey’s motorcycle, and his address to the fugitive don. The police arrested her on November 2011 and she was granted bail in July 2012.

It has been nearly three years since the prosecution submitted draft charges to the court.

Following the delay, three of the accused including the main accused Satish Kalia moved court to be discharged from the case. Judge Pansare had rejected their discharge applications. Another accused Deepak Sisodia, charged for conspiracy, withdrew his discharge application on Monday.

Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakre said that the prosecution will now have to lead the evidence in the case and the trial is likely to begin by July.

The police, in December 2011, filed a 3055-page chargesheet which named arrested accused Satiah Kaliya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia. An additional chargesheet had named Vora.

According to the police, Chhota Rajan, upset with articles written by Dey purportedly portraying him in bad light, had ordered his murder. One of the accused Vinod Asrani died recently and the case against him has abated. Two other accused, Rajan and Narayan Bisht— of the conspirators—are wanted in the case.

Advocate Jayesh Vithlani, representing Vora, said that the court had asked all the accused to be present in court at 12 noon. “The court explained the charges to each accused to which they said, gunaah kubool nahin hai (not guilty). The accused were then made to sign Charge Document before leaving the court, an hour later,” Vithlani said.

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