Scribe Killing: Chavan says no to CBI probe, media threaten stir

Mumbai: Media organisations in Mumbai Monday toughened their stand and threatened to launch an agitation after June 15 as Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan rejected a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.

The planned agitation would include a relay hunger strike and moving the Bombay High Court to seek directions to the state government to hand over the Dey killing case from Mumbai Police to the CBI, said Mumbai Press Club president Gurbir Singh.

"However, Chavan was forthcoming on the issue of strengthening legislation concerning growing incidents of attacks on media persons. A draft legislation would be discussed in the next state cabinet meeting and then further steps will be taken in the matter," Singh told IANS.

Singh and 15 other media persons were in a delegation that met Chavan after a two-km march by journalists from Azad Maidan to Mantralaya Monday afternoon to protest the killing of Dey, editor (Special Investigations) of tabloid Mid Day last Saturday.

Briefly addressing the media persons, Chavan said: "I have held two meetings with the police officials yesterday (Sunday) and today (Monday). I can assure you that we have made headway into the investigations."

Declining to elaborate, Chavan later rejected media persons' demands for CBI probe into Dey's killing and resignations of Home Minister R.R. Patil and Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik.

Journalists march

Earlier Monday, over 500 journalists of various print and electronic media organisations and associations, including the Press Club, Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, Mantralaya Ani Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh, Mumbai Crime Reporters' Association and TV Journalists Association, assembled at the Press Club and then marched to Mantralaya.

Dey was shot dead by four unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants as he was going on his motorcycle near his residence in Powai Saturday afternoon, sending shockwaves in the city's media circles.

His funeral was held Sunday, attended by hundreds of people from various walks of life.

 

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