J Dey murder case: Jigna Vora moves sessions court for renewal of her passport

Mumbai: Six years after being acquitted of the charges of having conspired with gangster Chhota Rajan to murder journalist J Dey, former journalist Jigna Vora on Thursday approached the sessions court for a renewal of her passport

Mumbai: Six years after being acquitted of the charges of having conspired with gangster Chhota Rajan to murder journalist J Dey, former journalist Jigna Vora on Thursday approached the sessions court for a renewal of her passport.

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Vora’s lawyer Jayesh Vithlani on Thursday approached the sessions court challenging the objection raised by the Mumbai police for renewal of her passport, saying she had not submitted surety after getting acquitted in the J Dey murder case.

A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court had in May 2018 acquitted Vora on the grounds that merely passing on the registration number of the victim’s motorcycle to gangster Chhota Rajan, the main accused, can’t be the basis to incriminate her.

While acquitting Vora, the court had asked her to submit a surety bond to assure her presence in case the prosecution moved to appeal challenging her acquittal. CBI had approached the Bombay high court against her acquittal, but the challenge was turned down by the high court.

In the plea filed on Thursday Vora’s lawyer said, “Vora was required to file a surety bond stating that she will appear before HC as and when the notice was issued to her. Accordingly, when the appeal was filed, she appeared before the HC for a hearing of the appeal filed by the prosecution. The said appeal was rejected and the time limit for the prosecution to approach the Supreme Court has lapsed and therefore, the surety bond was not furnished by her.”

Vithlani said that these facts were brought to the notice of the concerned officer of the Pant Nagar police station. Despite submitting all the relevant documents, the police submitted a negative report to the Regional Passport Officer, which led to the rejection of her plea for the renewal of her passport.

Hence, Vora has approached the sessions court for a declaration that it was not necessary to submit surety before the court and that she may be allowed to renew her passport.

Dey was shot dead on June 11, 2011, when he was on his way home in Powai. According to the prosecution, gangster Chhota Rajan’s men, Satish Kalia, Anil Waghmode, Abhijeet Shinde, Nilesh Shendge, Arun Dake, Mangesh Agawane and Sachin Gaikwad, followed Dey from his mother’s house. Kalia shot him with a 32-bore pistol near Powai Garden before fleeing with the rest of the gang.