Mumbai:
Vinod Asrani, alias Vinod Chembur, the eighth arrested accused in the J Dey murder case, was closely associated with Chhota Rajan, and took instructions from him regarding his role in the killing, according to the Mumbai police.
Cops have dug out information that Vinod was in regular touch with Rajan, and knew about the fugitive don's various operations.
It was at Rajan's behest that Vinod met Dey on June 7, at the Uma bar in Mulund.
Rajan had given him explicit instructions over the phone lines to arrive at the bar in his white BMW, so that the shooters could identify him as Rajan's man, and subsequently concur that the man Vinod met at the bar was their intended target.
Simultaneous with Vinod's arrival, Dey had arrived at the bar, accompanied by another reporter, in the latter's car.
In the meantime, the shooters had also reached the spot, and identified that the man emerging from the white BMW was Rajan's cronie, Vinod.
They kept a close eye on Vinod, who, upon meeting the target, loudly addressed him as Dey. The shooters immediately figured out who Rajan's target was, and left the bar.
That afternoon, the two shooters undertook a reconnaissance mission to the MiD DAY office in Parel and observed Dey, also identifying his bike.
Vinod allegedly called the two shooters that evening in order to confirm who Dey was. Police have been questioning the shooters as well as Vinod, to ascertain the motive behind Dey's killing.
They have as of yet been unable to determine the exact motivation behind the assassination.
Officers will be submitting a report on their findings at the High Court today. This is response to the petitions filed by members of the public against the police for dereliction duty in the Dey murder case.
Cops have dug out information that Vinod was in regular touch with Rajan, and knew about the fugitive don's various operations.
It was at Rajan's behest that Vinod met Dey on June 7, at the Uma bar in Mulund.
Rajan had given him explicit instructions over the phone lines to arrive at the bar in his white BMW, so that the shooters could identify him as Rajan's man, and subsequently concur that the man Vinod met at the bar was their intended target.
Simultaneous with Vinod's arrival, Dey had arrived at the bar, accompanied by another reporter, in the latter's car.
In the meantime, the shooters had also reached the spot, and identified that the man emerging from the white BMW was Rajan's cronie, Vinod.
They kept a close eye on Vinod, who, upon meeting the target, loudly addressed him as Dey. The shooters immediately figured out who Rajan's target was, and left the bar.
That afternoon, the two shooters undertook a reconnaissance mission to the MiD DAY office in Parel and observed Dey, also identifying his bike.
Vinod allegedly called the two shooters that evening in order to confirm who Dey was. Police have been questioning the shooters as well as Vinod, to ascertain the motive behind Dey's killing.
They have as of yet been unable to determine the exact motivation behind the assassination.
Officers will be submitting a report on their findings at the High Court today. This is response to the petitions filed by members of the public against the police for dereliction duty in the Dey murder case.
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