J Dey murder accused gets bail due to ill health

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Vinod Asrani alias Vinod Chembur, a bookie accused in the conspiracy to murder MiD-DAY Editor (Special Investigations) Jyotirmoy Dey. The court acted on medical reports asking to treat Asrani's case ‘sympathetically', owing to his failing health.

The division bench of justices VM Kanade and PD Kode noted, "The applicant is in a very critical condition and needs to be operated immediately on account of his liver failure."

Asrani's health has been in jeopardy ever since his arrest last year. He is alleged to have pointed out Dey to the shooters while he sat at a bar in Mulund. Asrani is charged with criminal conspiracy and various other sections of the IPC and the MCOCA. He is also allegedly an aide of Chhota Rajan.

Vinod Asrani had met J Dey at Uma bar in Mulund on June 7, where he allegedly helped two of Dey's shooters identify him.

In October, Asrani was rushed to St. George's Hospital with kidney failure. His health has deteriorated since then. In his report to the court, Dr. JB Bhavani, the head of Urology and Deputy Superintendent at St. George's Hospital said, "I request you to consider this case sympathetically considering his end stage liver disease and request the liver transplant authorities to perform early liver transplantation.u00a0

The High Court has released Asrani on a bail of Rs. 50,000 with sureties for a period of six months, which can be further extended if needed with the leave of the court.