**Mumbai: Bombay High Court Denies Bail to Four Convicts in 2011 Murder of Senior Crime Journalist Jyotirmoy Dey**
The Bombay High Court has refused to grant bail to four men serving life imprisonment for their involvement in the 2011 murder of senior crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. The court observed that the accused were “active participants” in an organised crime syndicate and had engaged in a “meticulously planned conspiracy” to eliminate Dey.
### Convicts and Court Details
A division bench comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad rejected the bail pleas filed by Nilesh Shedge, Sachin Gaikwad, Abhijit Shinde, and Mangesh Aagvane. All four were convicted by a special MCOCA court in May 2018. The bail applications were turned down on Monday, with the detailed order made publicly available on Tuesday.
### Conspiracy and Murder Details
According to the prosecution, the accused closely monitored Jyotirmoy Dey’s movements from June 8 to June 11, 2011. The murder was allegedly orchestrated by the underworld don Chhota Rajan, who instructed his sharpshooter Rohit Thangappan Joseph, also known as Satish Kalia, to carry out the hit. Kalia, in turn, enlisted the support of the four convicted men to assist him.
### Incident Description
Jyotirmoy Dey, aged 64, was shot dead in Powai by assailants on motorcycles. Reports suggest that Chhota Rajan was angered by articles Dey had authored about his gang in a Mumbai tabloid and suspected him of supporting a rival syndicate.
### Convicts’ Bail Arguments
The convicts sought bail pending appeal, arguing that they had spent nearly 14 years in custody—approximately 16 years when remission is taken into account. They also contended that the case relied heavily on confessional statements recorded under Section 18 of the MCOCA Act.
### Prosecution’s Stand
Opposing the bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat argued that the convicts were sentenced to three life terms under a special law. As per the Maharashtra Remission and Commutation Rules, 2010, these three life terms amount to 60 years imprisonment. Therefore, the convicts could not claim to have served half their sentence.
### Court Observations
The court concurred with the prosecution, noting that the evidence—including call data records, hotel registers, recovery of weapons and ammunition from Nainital, and a raincoat used during the crime—unequivocally established the conspiracy.
The bench emphasized that a reappraisal of evidence at the bail stage is not permissible.
### Final Verdict on Bail
Finding no grounds to suspend the sentence, the bench rejected all four bail applications.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-crime-journalist-j-dey-murder-case-bombay-hc-denies-bail-to-4-convicts-cites-active-role-in-organised-crime-conspiracy
