Mumbai: A special court on Wednesday awarded life terms to incarcerated gangster Chhota Rajan and eight of his associates after convicting them for orchestrating the murder of senior crime journalist Jyoti Nipendrakumar Dey alias J Dey (56).
Among the convicted are shooter Satish Kaliya, and Anil Waghmode, Arun Dake and Mangesh Agavane, who had kept a watch on Dey before targeting him in Powai on June 11, 2011.
The court, however, acquitted alleged Rajan aide Paulson Palitara alias Paulson Joseph and journalist Jigna Vora of all charges. Twelve accused in total were facing trial.
While accused Vinod Asrani died during the trial, special judge Sameer Adkar acquitted two persons Vora and Joseph.
While acquitting Vora, judge Sameer Adkar said that even in various extra-judicial confessions, Rajan has nowhere stated that he got Dey murdered because of instigation by Vora or anybody else. Even from call data records, the prosecution failed to connect Vora with the murder.
On the request of special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat, the judge directed that out of the fines recovered from the convicts, Rs 5 lakh should be paid to Dey’s sister Leena.
