Mumbai:
Journalist Jigna Vora, an accused in the murder of senior crime reporter J Dey, has been granted bail by a court in Mumbai.
Ms Vora, who was arrested in November 25 last year and was in judicial custody, was granted relief by a MCOCA court for a surety of Rs 1 lakh. The court has also laid down several conditions for the bail - these include submitting her passport with the police and appearing before the Mumbai Crime Branch - the investigating agency in the case - twice a week.
Mr Dey, the Investigations Editor of MiD DAY's, was gunned down by four bike-borne assailants in broad daylight near his residence in Powai on June 11, 2011. Ms Vora, then working as a deputy bureau chief with a Mumbai daily, was the 11th arrested accused in the case.
Her name, however, did not figure in the chargesheet filed against 12 persons in December last year. She, instead, was named in a 1,400 page supplementary charge sheet filed in February this year.
Ms 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 the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Arms Act.
The murder was plotted and executed allegedly at the behest of underworld don Chhota Rajan. According to police, Ms Vora had allegedly provided Mr Dey's mobile number and his exact location to Rajan, who has also been named in the charge sheet.