J Dey murder: Police seek court nod to question Rajan's aide

City police today moved an application in the MCOCA court seeking custody of underworld don Chhota Rajan's alleged aide Paulson Joseph, lodged in a jail for his role in reporter J Dey's murder, as he was suspected to have met the woman journalist arrested recently before the sensational killing, police said.

City police on Tuesday moved an application in the MCOCA court seeking custody of underworld don Chhota Rajan's alleged aide Paulson Joseph, lodged in a jail for his role in reporter J Dey's murder, as he was suspected to have met the woman journalist arrested recently before the sensational killing, police said.

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Joseph, the tenth accused in the killing of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, was arrested on September 5. He is currently lodged in the Arthur Road jail, police said.

"We have moved an application in the MCOCA court today seeking Joseph's custody as we want to question him again in connection with Dey's case," Assistant Police Commissioner (Crime) Ashok Duraphe said.

The arguments on the application will be held in the court tomorrow, Duraphe said.

Police sources said Joseph's custody is required at this "crucial stage of investigation" as recently arrested woman journalist Jigna Vora was suspected to have met him before Dey's killing.

"We want to know what Joseph and Vora had spoken if they had met. We want both of them to confront each other and ask some questions that will clear the picture," the source said.

Dey, working with English tabloid Mid-Day, was shot dead in suburban Powai on June 11 by assailants who followed him on motorcycles. The murder was allegedly executed at the behest of Rajan.

Vora, deputy bureau chief of English daily The Asian Age, was arrested on November 25. Besides IPC, 37-year-old was booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for her alleged role in the murder.

Before he was apprehended in Dey's case, Joseph was behind bars in the case of Pakmodia street firing occurred on May 17 in which Arif Syed Abu Bukha, the bodyguard-cum-driver of Iqbal Kaskar, brother of Dawood Ibrahim, was killed. Kaskar was not present at the time when the incident occurred.

Joseph had allegedly provided global SIM cards to the accused involved in the murder of Dey as well as Pakmodia street firing case.