23 June,2011 06:07 AM IST | | A Correspondent
Vakola police arrest an impostor who was trying to pass off as a cop and was in possession of an unregistered weapon similar to the one used in J Dey's murder; cops deny connection with the probe
twelve days since J Dey's murder, the police are still on a wild goose chase for the assailants.
The Vakola police arrested a 34-year-old businessman last afternoon, after he was caught red-handed in the act of trying to pass off as a cop.
On conducting a thorough search of the vehicle, officials found a .32 Mark 4 revolver, with five bullets and a blank
The man, identified as Nihal Pravinchandra Tanna, was arrested during a nakabandi at the Hans Burga Road. He was found to be in possession of an unregistered weapon.
Speculation is rife that Tanna, who reportedly met Dey a few days prior to his murder, has been picked up as a suspect in his murder probe. Senior police officers, however, have denied that Tanna is a suspect.
According to Satyanarayan Chowdhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone X, Tanna, a resident of Parikshak Nagar in Kalva, was intercepted at 12.30 pm, by a police team from Vakola.
Revolver found
Tanna was travelling in a white Swift, which had a sign indicating that it was a police vehicle. On conducting a thorough search of the car, cops found a .32 Mark 4 revolver, with five bullets and a blank.
An officer of the Vakola station said, on condition of anonymity, "We have found a few documents in the car, which we are in the process of scrutinising. Only after that will we be able to disclose any further details."
Asked if the police were following any leads on the theory that Tanna could possibly have been an informer to J Dey, whom he had met two days prior to his death, Chowdhary said, "Tanna has been arrested solely for attempting to cheat other people, and for carrying an unregistered weapon with him.
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Tanna's investigation is not connected to the J Dey murder case."
Will try to bring in law for scribes in this session: StateThe Maharashtra government yesterday said it would try to table the proposed bill to prevent attacks on journalists in the upcoming monsoon session of state legislature.
"A committee will be formed by the chief minister which will consist of six ministers to draft the bill," said state Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Harshavardhan Patil. Three senior ministers each from the ruling Congress and NCP will be part of the committee.
The long-pending demand for such a law has revived after the murder of senior journalist J Dey earlier this month.
The monsoon session will begin on July 25 and conclude on August 12, Patil announced.
"In the three-week-long session, a total of 17 bills will be tabled by the government and six ordinances will be converted into bills," Patil told reporters after a Business Advisory Council meeting of the Maharasthra Legislature.
Vilasrao wants murder case solved swiftly
Terming the murder of senior journalist J Dey a 'serious' incident, Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh yesterday hoped the Mumbai Police would crack the case very soon.
"It is a very serious incident. I feel it is a blot because it pertains to an assault on the Fourth Estate," the minister said while describing Dey as 'a very upright journalist.'
Asked whether the murder of the journalist was an indication of a breakdown of law and order in Maharashtra, Deshmukh, who is a former chief minister of the state, said, "Isolated incidents cannot be seen as proof of a breakdown of law and order."
He said the Crime Branch is probing the case and the court which considered the matter is also "happy with the steps crime branch has taken."
The Bombay High Court had, on Tuesday, directed the city police to file a report by July 6 on the progress of investigations into the murder of Dey.
CM Prithviraj Chavan had assured a group of editors from print and electronic media that Mumbai Police would crack the case soon.
