How Chhota Rajan's words incriminated Jigna Vora

Mumbai: After the Mumbai Crime Branch filed a supplementary chargesheet against Jigna Vora in the J Dey murder case on February 21, MiD DAY has acquired a copy of a crucial transcript of a conversation between underworld don Chhota Rajan and a relative of one of the accused. In the exchange, the don is heard mentioning that Vora would call him up frequently to draw his attention to Dey's loyalties. The chargesheet calls Vora as "instigator".

The transcript, which forms the prime evidence against the scribe, along with other circumstantial evidence, is part of the chargesheet against Vora.

According to the Crime Branch officials, soon after the arrest of one of the 11 accused, Vinod Chembur, for providing logistical aid to bump off Dey, they tapped phone calls between Vinod and his kin. In one of the conversations with Vinod's relative Manoj, cops found that underworld don Chhota Rajan had opened up for the first time, and gave his reasons for ordering Dey's murder. The interception of Manoj's calls is vital in linking Vora to the Dey murder, and Manoj is now a key witness for the prosecution.

These transcripts were later corroborated with the statements of other journalists in the city with whom Rajan had conversed with. He clearly mentions Jigna as having instigating him to kill Dey. Incidentally, Senior Inspector Shripad Kale of the Chembur Unit played a major role in getting the transcript. His network of contacts was instrumental in tapping the phones of Vinod Chembur, Manoj, and another individual identified as Raj, allegedly an extortionist.

Meanwhile, the custody of all the 11 accused has been extended till March 12. The police have given physical, testimonial and circumstantial evidence under the Evidence Act to reinforce their case. As per the chargesheet, the motive behind the murder is not clear, but the police have furnished evidence to prove that the crime took place due to professional rivalry between Vora and Dey.

Don calling!
Transcript of the conversation between gangster Chhota Rajan and Manoj, recorded on August, 4, 2011:

Manoj: Hello
Chhota Rajan: Hello, kya haal hai.  Uss din (phone) cut ho gaya.
M: Haan haan. Abhi uska tabiyat theek nahi hai, Vinod ka.
CR: Kya karega Raja, bahut taklif wali... Yeh to khota phas gaya hai.
M: Haan.
CR: Galat phas gaya aur woh (Dey) bhi koi saaf nahi tha. Woh bhi saamne wale ke liye kaam karta tha. Dawood ke liye, ISI ke liye.
M: Accha accha.
CR: Galat galat baatein apne liye likhta tha, aur inke editor log bhi, patrakar log bhi, iske against kaafi the.
M: Hmm Hmm.
CR: Kafi log iske against bolte the. Woh kya iska naam, woh ladki bhi phone kar kar ke mereko bolti thi yeh gaddar hai.
M: Achha
CR: Woh Jigna Vora kaun hai na.
M: Woh malum nahi.
CR: Woh hai na.
M: Haan haan.
CR: Woh kafi log iske against the. Woh Jigna Vora ghadi ghadi bolti thi woh aisa hai.. vaisa hai ..matlab saamne wale ke touch mein hain na.
M: Accha accha.
CR: Woh sab tha usme to koi doubt hi nahi. Matlab woh London bhi gaya, phir mereko bula raha tha.
M: Accha accha.
CR: Toh main jaane ka koi matlab tha nahi. Philippines bula raha tha. Patrakar hai, kuch likhte hai matlab woh to main bhi samajhta hoon na.
M: Haan haan.
CR: But kisi ke liye kaam kare aur kisi ke liye ekdum hi galat tarike se neeche utarke bole to woh galat hai naa.
M: Haan haan.
CR: Dekhlete hai matlab.
M: Theek hai.
CR: Matlab kya hai halat toh bura hai. Actually bahut taqlif ho gayi. Yeh (Vinod) khota phas gaya hai. Khota. Lena dena kuch nahi tha iska.
M: Haan woh toh hai. Tabiyat bhi bahut kharab hai.
CR: Tabiyat toh bichare ki bahut... wohi mereko bahut bura lag raha hai na.. ki kya karen? Aisa phas gaya. Theek hai, dekhte hain. Koshish kare aur kya.

Chargesheeted
Three months after Vora's arrest in November last year, the Crime Branch, on February 21, filed a 1,471-page supplementary chargesheet against journalist Jigna Vora for her alleged role in the murder of MiD DAY's Investigations Editor J Dey, calling her an 'instigator'.

Dey was gunned down by four bike-borne assailants in broad daylight near his residence in Powai on June 11, 2011. Vora is the 11th arrested accused in the case. The police have filed the supplementary chargesheet in three volumes, incorporate statements of 27 witnesses -- including those of the three persons recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC -- transcripts of Rajan's conversations, Vora's call records, the panchnama, and sanction by the police commissioner. The filing of the chargesheet coincided with Vora's birthday.

Vora has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, besides stringent provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Arms Act.