Underworld is back in city, say ex-cops, journalists

Journalist J Dey’s killing invited strong reactions from former police officials and journalists on Saturday.

Journalist J Dey’s killing invited strong reactions from former police officials and journalists on Saturday.

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Former Mumbai police commissioner MN Singh said, “The incident brings back the memory of gangs in the city.”

He said Dey had been reporting on crime for many years and was knowledgeable about the operations of various gangs in the city. “Police will have to look into the oil mafia operations because there have been couple of murders by them,” Singh said.

Former Mumbai police commissioner D Sivanandhan said he was shocked.

“This [the killing] is condemnable,” he said, adding that such a thing had not happened in Mumbai.

“A trend of this nature has to be arrested,” said Sivanandhan. He said Mumbai police are capable of cracking the case and they would do that, but this kind of incident has to be prevented.

Senior journalist S Balakrishnan said the killing confirmed that the underworld once again had the upper hand in Mumbai. “The fact that journalists can be targeted is very serious. It has serious implications for democracy and civil society,” he said.

Ram Pawar, a senior crime journalist with Loksatta and former president of the Crime Reporters Association, said police needed to be alert, or else the underworld would raise its head in the city.

“Police should immediately book the culprits and punish them,” he said.

Prabhakar Pawar, senior crime journalist with Saamna and former president of the Crime Reporters Association, said he had known Dey for 15 years.

“He was dedicated, professional and non-controversial, and he did real investigative journalism. The police commissioner should look into this as it is a signal that the underworld is back,” he said.