Who is talking to media on Dey murder probe, HC wants to know

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The Bombay High Court today asked the state government to find out who in Mumbai police's crime branch was leaking information about investigation into the murder of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey to the media.

"Police will have to explain and find out who is this officer who is talking to the press. This tendency of revealing information about the probe to the media is serious. What is the need for police to talk to media about a case when investigations are still on?" said the division bench of Justices Ranjana Desai and R.V. More.

The bench, which was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations seeking CBI probe of the murder, directed Advocate General Ravi Kadam to tell the court tomorrow the name of the police officer who was giving interviews, and if it was the police who were approaching the media or it was other way round.

The court also pointed out, without naming him, that the photograph of Satish Kalia, the prime accused, appeared on news channels and in papers.

"One of the accused lifted his veil when he was being taken out of the court and his face was photographed and printed in every newspaper. Such things will have to be taken care of," Justice More remarked.

The state will also have to reply to the allegations of nexus between the police and the underworld, court said.

Advocate V.P. Patil, journalist S. Balakrishnan, former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, and Press Club, Mumbai, separately moved the court after Dey was shot dead on June 11 in suburban Powai. The crime branch has subsequently arrested eight persons for allegedly carrying out the murder at the behest of gangster Chhota Rajan.

Earlier, senior advocate Navroze Serwai, appearing for the Press Club, alleged that police were leaking information even about Dey's personal life.

"There are number of reports in the press everyday. Police are leaking contradictory information to media not just about the investigation but also about Dey's personal life. This is coming as a shock to his family members," he said.

Calling the murder a frontal attack on democracy and an attempt to silence the press, Serwai said: "The real culprits behind the murder are still at large. The police have just nabbed the small fries. Dey had extensively reported on the police-underworld nexus, which is why a proper and impartial investigation should be done by an independent agency like the CBI."

The court however suggested that the police should be given some more time to investigate further.

This was opposed by the petitioners' lawyers, on the ground that police would not conduct a fair investigation.

"To date, police have not been able to ascertain the motive behind the murder. There are several loose ends in the investigation," said advocate Sashi Nair, appearing for Balakrishnan.

The hearing i set to continue tomorrow.