Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has condemned the killing of Mumbai based journalist Joy Dey and demands a high level enquiry into the incident. The media persons’ organization, in a press statement, argues that Dey, 56, might have been targeted by the mafia, as he exposed many stories about the underworld in his illustrious career. Mentionable that the courageous investigative journalist of Mid-Day, who used to cover about the organized crime of the underworld for more than two decades, was gunned down as he was returning home by four men on motorcycles in the north Mumbai suburb of Powai in the afternoon of June 11. Dey was associated with various newspapers including The Indian Express and Hindustan Times before joining the Mumbai based evening daily.
“Joy Dey was one of the pillars of the Mid-Day newsroom for the last four years, and as one of the senior most investigative journalists in the country, was an invaluable asset to the newspaper. He brought depth to our investigative reporting, and he conducted his journalism with honesty and integrity,” said in an immediate statement of Mid-Day newspaper.
“The Mid-Day family condemns the murder of Joy Dey, Editor (Crime and Investigations) in Mumbai on Saturday, June 11, 2011,” stated in the announcement by Sachin Kalbag, the executive editor of the English daily adding that the killing of Joy Dey is ‘not only a loss to Mid-Day, but to the media fraternity in general’.
The Editors Guild of India has urged the Maharashtra government to take immediate steps to bring Dey's killers to justice. In a statement signed by Guild president T N Ninan and secretary Coomi Kapoor, the editor’s forum ‘deplores the law enforcement agencies' inability to protect the life of a journalist engaged in carrying out his professional duties at great risk to himself’.
Reporters Without Borders, the Paris based media rights body also condemned the murder of Dey. It argues that the ‘recent incidents and acts of violence involving journalists point to a deterioration in the ability of media personnel to operate freely in India’.
“We remind the Indian government of the importance of the media’s role in a democracy, and its duty to ensure protection and justice for all journalists. Dey’s reporting was in the public interest and his death must not go unpunished,” asserted the rights body in a statement. It concluded offering condolences to Dey’s widow (who is also a journalist), other family members & colleagues, and also urged the authorities ‘to conduct a thorough investigation into his murder, which has all the hallmarks of a premeditated execution’.
The JFA reiterated its demand for justice to the families of 22 editor-journalist-correspondents of Assam, who were targeted for life in separate incident since 1987. Signed by its president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria, the JFA statement expresses dismay that not a single perpetrator of all these killings is punished till date.
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