Friends and colleagues of J Dey pay tribute to the man they knew

Iu00a0knew Dey since 1995, when I first came to Mumbai. We started our careers together, him as a journalist, I as an IPS officer.

We had met only two days ago; he had done a story on coastal security. He did not tell me about any threat or fear, he was relaxed as always.

He was a good human being and would always help people in distress. Most people may not know about this, but Dey had spent a major portion of his savings on taking care of an old lady who had been disowned by her own children. Dey not only took care of the lady, but spent lakhs on her treatment and even conducted her funeral.


J Dey, actor Ajay Devgan, Home Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, MiD DAY MD
Tariq Ansari and Chief of Anti Terrorist Squad, Maharashtra, Rakesh
Maria during the release of Dey's book Zero Dial in August last year.
PIC/ NIMESH DAVE

This is a heavy personal loss to bear.

Parambir Singh, Inspector General of Police (Konkan Range)

I knew Dey for 10 years. He was friendly with everyone, right from an IPS officer to a police constable.

He was a knowledgeable man and was well-versed with policing. He was known for his networking with various agencies.

He would always tell me, 'Only if you work hard will you achieve success,' and followed this philosophy in life too.

His demise is a big loss to the journalistic fraternity and has created a void that can never be filled.

Daya Nayak, Former encounter specialist

I knew Dey personally. He was a very good investigative journalist and would write objectively and to the point, without sensationalising an incident.

His departure has created a huge void and is a big blow not only to MiD DAY but also to the entire journalistic fraternity. He had a good heart and this is an extremely unfortunate incident.

Those unhappy with his writing may be behind this brutal, unfortunate murder.
Dr P S Pasricha, Former Director General of Police

Dey was a dear friend. He was always enthusiasticu00a0 about work and would write very well.
He even gifted a few copies of his book, Zero Dial to me.

K L Prasad, Additional Director General of Police (State Intelligence)

Whenever I wrote a book, I would tell Dey about it first. When I wrote the Mafia Queen, he was the first to read it. There is joy in writing books only if there is an expert to read and criticise your work.

I have lost a dear friend. We covered the crime beat together for five years, and always shared a healthy rivalry.

Of late, when I started concentrating more on my book writing, Dey would be the first to read what I wrote. I was also one of the first people to read his book, Zero Dial.

I'm at a loss of words to express my feelings about our deep friendship. I would not have believed the news of his death, had I not seen his dead body in the hospital and met his wife.

Hussain Zaidi, Senior Journalist and author

This is a terrible, shocking, completely unexpected incident.

If a fearless journalist like him can be shot in broad daylight, it is a sad day for law and order.

I knew him on a personal level, and he was a co-operative, proactive man who never said no to anything.

Nishant Sarvankar, Head of Crime Journalist Association