Father of underworld reporting, J Dey shot dead in Mumbai

J Dey, who spent most of his reporting career bringing out scintillating accounts of the goings on in the Mumbai underworld for the Indian Express in Mumbai, was working as the Crime editor for the Mid Day newspaper in Mumbai. He has also worked in the Hindustan Times in Mumbai.

Dey has written extensively about the underworld and had sources and insights that no other reporter in India can claim. He is the author of ‘Zero Dial: The Dangerous World of Informers’ and ‘Khallas’ — considered a dictionary on Mumbai’s underworld.

He has written about Dawood Ibrahim, Chotta Rajan and others and it is reported that he was working on a series of Dawood when was shot dead today. He has been rushed to the hospital.

Mumbai police sources confirmed that he is no more.

Due to his incisive stories, J Dey has been regularly getting death threats, but this death now, when the Mumbai underworld is seen to be under control, has surprised his colleagues.

“The entire news room is in shock right now.. His loss is a tremendous loss not only to Mid Day, but also the science and art of crime reporting,” Sachin Kalbag, editor of Mid Day said, echoing the sentiments of most of those who knew him in his profession.

Kalbaug said he was not aware of any big story right now that would have made anyone uncomfortable and added that Dey did not come up to him with any reports of threats. He, however, agreed that there have been stories that were cancelled by him out of fear for Dey’s life.

“He was one of the most meticulous and hardworking journalist.. His biggest contribution will be that he has trained a large number of crime reporters in Mumbai,” he added.

J Dey had recently written an article in Mid Day pointing to Chhota Rajan as the possible hand behind the shooting attempt on Iqbal Kaskar, Dawood’s brother, in Mumbai.

Interestingly, the story also contained the quotes of Rajan, with whom J Dey had a conversation about the shooting attempt.
“In the aftermath of the shootout in Bhendi Bazaar, police officials are beginning to suspect that ageing don Chhota Rajan is making an effort to muscle his way back into Mumbai’s underworld. Sources informed what Rajan did what very few gangsters would attempt-take on the might of the D Company,” he had written.

Those who know him dismiss the possibility that he may have been shot by the underworld. Some also point out that he was working on big story on the oil mafia engaged in the adulteration of petroleum products etc..

He had recently exposed a Rs 10,000 crore scam involving the oil mafia in the state.

Zero Dial The Dangerous World Of Informers Book Description

About the Book :

Three informers. Murky bylanes that hold the key to deadly terror plots. The chase for India’s most wanted terrorist. The lives of three of Mumbai Police’s best informers collide in this shady underworld.

It’s a bad, bad world. A world of crime, sex, drugs, murder and betrayal. He who lies, lives to see the light of another day… a day replete with even greater risks. From shady underworld dealings to switching gang loyalties, the men graduate to selling information on terrorism. Then begins the chase… to catch India’s most wanted terrorist: Riyaz Bhatkal, the man with an ominous track record of masterminding twenty-two blasts across the country since 2005.

The search takes them to the most unassuming yet dangerous terror hubs across India. With trust in short supply, time ticking away and the sword of Damocles over their heads, the men can only hope that they are not on a wild goose chase.

Book Details

Deliverable Countries: This product ships to India, Sri Lanka.

A senior journalist with an English daily was today shot dead by four motorcycle-borne unidentified persons in suburban Powai here, police said.

Jyoti Dey was heading the crime bureau at Mid-Day. Joint Police Commissioner (Law & Order) Rajnish Seth said Dey was shot dead in Hiranandani area of Powai. According to police, four persons riding on two bikes fired at Dey this afternoon, report PTI.

J Dey, spent most of his reporting career in providing insight to Mumbai’s underworld. At present, he was working as the crime editor for the Mid Day newspaper in Mumbai. He had also worked with the Hindustan Times and the Indian Express in Mumbai.

Dey had sources in the underworld that no other reporter in India can possibly claim.

He is the author of ‘Zero Dial: The Dangerous World of Informers’ and ‘Khallas’ — considered a dictionary on Mumbai’s underworld.

He has written on Dawood Ibrahim, Chotta Rajan and others and it is reported that he was working on a series of Dawood when he was shot dead today.