World Breastfeeding Week - 1 to 7 August 2011

With a goal to boost the health of infants worldwide and encourage mothers to breastfeed, nearly 120 countries around the world celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from 1-7 August every year.

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.

“Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, especially when it can be avoided. Why let this happen when you can protect the health of your child simply by breastfeeding him or her?” asked Dr RK Agarwal, a paediatrician.

The World Health Organisation declared the first week of August as World Breastfeeding Week in a bid to ensure that children are not denied of the right to live simply because of lack of awareness on the part of the care takers.

Breastfeeding is known to reduce deaths among children aged below 5 by 13%.

According to statistics, out of 27 million babies born in India each year, close to 1.2 million babies do not get past the first one month. This is due to poor neonatal care and malnutrition which are the main reasons for infant mortality in India.

One million infant lives can be saved by just breast feeding in the 1st Hour following the birth of the child. If mothers and families comprehend the benefits of breast feeding for six months, it can save the lives of 250,000 babies annually.

Guwahati-Bangalore Express collided with Ajamgarh-Marwa Express

At least two people were reportedly killed and nearly 30 injured in a train accident in West Bengal's Malda district on Sunday (31-July-2011) evening.

The accident took place near Jamirghata in Malda district. One bogie of the derailed train caught fire.

Two bogies and the engine of the Guwahati-Bengaluru Express, which was on its way to the southern city, derailed first and were hit by the Azimganj-Malda Town Passenger leading to further derailment of bogies of both the trains, Railway sources said.

An Eastern Railway spokesman said the injured had been admitted to local hospitals and efforts were on to rescue passengers trapped inside two bogies.

Senior Railway officials rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue operations and a relief train had been sent.

The railways has confirmed that the driver of the passenger train that was coming from the opposite side on the adjacent track tried to apply emergency brakes when he saw the derailed express train but could not completely prevent a collision.

TN Police: Stalin was not arrested

Denying that Stalin, son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi was arrested or detained, Tamilnadu police said that he was merely moved as he was obstructing traffic.

Earlier reports said that M K Stalin was detained by police at Tiruvarur. The DMK leader was trying to stage a protest, when police attempted to arrest DMK's Tiruvarur secretary Kalaivanan.

The police had been looking for the DMK functionary in connection with the death of a school student in a road accident in Tiruvarur on Friday.

Mr Stalin had reportedly demanded an arrest warrant or FIR copy before the arrest, and it was then that he was taken into detention.

The DMK had given the call for boycott of schools and colleges to press for implementation of the Uniform System of School Education (Tamil: Samacheer Kalvi), introduced by the Karunanidhi regime.

The AIADMK Government is engaged in a legal battle after it decided to defer implementation of the scheme citing its "lack of quality".

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa yesterday (29-July-2011) blamed the DMK protest for leading to the death of the boy and charged Kalaivanan with instigating his party workers to prevent students from attending classes.

Student's death

Police registered a case against Mr. Kalaivanan in connection with the death of Vijay of Manjakollai, an eighth standard student of the Government Higher Secondary School, Koradachery. Vijay died on his way home from school on Friday when the government bus in which he was travelling met with an accident.

The children were sent from school after an agitation organised by Mr. Kalaivanan for implementing the Samacheer Kalvi system immediately. Three other students were injured in the accident. Baskar, father of one of the injured students, lodged a complaint with police that Mr. Kalaivanan was responsible for the accident as he (Mr. Kalaivanan) had insisted on the students' boycotting classes.

The police registered cases against Mr. Kalaivanan under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 188 (preventing people from discharging duties), 268 (conspiracy and 506/2 threat to murder.

As the news about the alleged arrest of Mr. Stalin spread, DMK cadres organised demonstrations at various places in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts. They were arrested by the police and later released.

Hackers ask PayPal users to quit using the service

Hacking group Anonymous is asking PayPal users to "immediately close their accounts and consider an alternative," as a way of protesting the arrests of 14 people tied to a denial-of-service attack on PayPal's website last December. That attack, which brought down the site, was said to be retribution against PayPal for dropping WikiLeaks' donation account.

"PayPal continues to withhold funds from WikiLeaks, a beacon of truth in these dark times," the groups said in a statement.

"We encourage anyone using PayPal to immediately close their accounts and consider an alternative," they said.

"The first step to being truly free is not putting one's trust into a company that freezes accounts when it feels like, or when it is pressured by the US government," they added.

Various Anonymous Twitter accounts are making a call for action. Anonymous Press tweets: "Paypal suspended the closing of accounts online, so call in and close ur account 1-888-221-1161 make sure 2 quote #OpPayPal via@odotm"

Wikileaks is showing support by tweeting: "We support the work of #Anonymous in drawing attention to the economic blockade of #Wikileaks by corrupt financial institutions. #OpPayPal"

So far, however, the campaign may not be having much effect.

"We haven't seen any changes to our normal operations (including account opening and closing) overnight," a PayPal spokeswoman told CNN via e-mail on Wednesday (27-July-2011).

Anonymous wants PayPal users to switch to other similar services.
"Get yourself a slice of MyBitCoin, Liberty Reserve, WebMoney, Neteller, Moneybookers, and start using prepaid credit and gift cards," tweeted allied hacking group LulzSec.

Foreign ministers of India and Pakistan begin talks

India's external affairs minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday (27-July-2011) began talks that are expected to culminate in a host of confidence-building measures (CBMs).

While India will talk of eradicating terror in the region, Pakistan is expected to insist on maintaining peace in the area.

The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan are expected to follow a carefully drafted template to take the peace process forward through a 'step-by-step' approach.

In his public welcoming remarks, Mr Krishna said, "India looks forward to a cooperative relationship with Pakistan... it is in the interest of peace not only for our two countries but for the entire region and beyond. Perhaps we owe this to ourselves as well as to succeeding generations."

Ms Khar, who is Pakistan's youngest Foreign Minister, said, "Pakistan sees good friendly and cooperative relations with India as an important neighbour.

"We feel the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage by the past." She also stressed that officials on both sides must be "respectful of the reality of the two countries."

The meeting comes five months after the South Asian neighbours resumed bilateral discussions.

Talks were suspended after the 2008 Mumbai (Bombay) attacks which India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

But earlier this year, leaders vowed to resume their dialogue.

Correspondents say the talks are unlikely to throw up any major policy statements, but they will be another step in improving relations between the neighbours.

Chennai - Fire in KMC, three dead

Three people have been confirmed dead after a fire broke out at the Asthama allergic treatment centre of the Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital in Chennai.

Two women died of asphyxiation due to the fire at the Intensive Care Unit of the government hospital early Saturday (23-July-2011) morning. Another male patient who was also in the unit died a few hours later.

Five others in the ICU were immediately shifted to different wards, hospital sources said.

Police said an electric short-circuit in the split air-conditioning unit in the ICU was the probable cause of the fire.

Fire fighters battled hard for more than three hours to put out the flames, the sources added.

Expressing sorrow over the incident, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said she had ordered the authorities concerned to take adequate preventive measures in all government hospitals to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

The hospital authorities have instituted an enquiry.

IT dept raids premises of actors Mammootty and Mohanlal

Income tax sleuths have raided the houses, offices and hotels of Malayalam film stars Mammootty and Mohanlal. The searches started at 6.30am on Friday (22-July-2011) morning.

The operation followed allegations of amassing wealth disproportionate to their income. More details about the nature of the raid have not been revealed.

The raids were conducted at premises in Kochi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Mohanlal is currently shooting for a film in Rameshwaram and his statement is being recorded, while Mammootty is in Chennai.

On July 11, the Income Tax sleuths raided the houses of several Kannada film makers and distributors and seized many documents. Reports said that the I-T officials raided the houses of Kannada TV and film stars Ravikiran, Sihi Kahi Chandru and K Manju and others at Teachers Colony, J P Nagar, Vijayanagar, Sadashivanagar, Jayanagar etc.

Jet Airways flight with 134 passengers averts mid-air collision

A Jet Airways flight with 134 passengers onboard narrowly averted a mid-air collision over Lucknow today, triggering panic aboard, passengers said.

The jet flight was caught in severe turbulence, which the airline claimed was caused by a passing Boeing 747 jumbo.

The incident took place around 11.35 a.m. The Jet Airways flight landed safely in Guwahati around 1 p.m.

The identity of the passing Boeing 747 was being ascertained.

The sources said the Jet 737 and the Boeing 747, coming from the opposite direction, could have violated the mandatory separation between two aircrafts.

Among those aboard the plane included Assam Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita and Congress MP Rani Narah. "God is great. We had a near brush with death," said Narah.

Jet authorities in Guwahati refused to comment on the incident saying a formal statement, if any, would be made from their head office in Mumbai.

"It is very serious. We will inquire into this incident," DGCA chief E K Bharat Bhushan told PTI. While a Jet spokesperson said the incident was caused by "rough air generated by a passing Boeing 747", sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the two planes were far off and the turbulence was caused by winds and air pockets.

Asked about the conflicting reports, Bharat Bhushan said, "We will definitely probe when there is a conflict in the two versions".

Mumbai Blasts: CCTV footage being scanned

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Friday (15-July-2011) that investigators are examining forensic evidence and footage from closed circuit televisions for clues about the triple bomb blasts that shook Mumbai and killed 17.

Mumbai Police alongside Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are investigating all the leads found at the three blast sites to crack the case.

Two days after three blasts rocked the city of Mumbai killing 18 people and injuring 131, the Union Home Secretary RK Singh on Friday (July 15) said that the CCTV footages procured from the three blast sites -- Dadar, Zaveri Bazar and Opera House -- are being probed thoroughly. Though he did not divulge much detail on the blast probe, the home secretary hinted at a possible email trail that is being investigated.

In the absence of any claimants, investigators are now hoping that CCTV footage collected from the three blast sites will provide significant leads.

Video footage captured by more than 46 CCTV cameras is now in the process of being scrutinised by special teams from the crime branch and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), including experts from central agencies.

As per reports, one camera in Opera House has captured the images of the possible suspects. The footage shows three or four people talking on the phone for over an hour and a half at the same spot.

Moreover, a person carrying a bag is reported to have been identified as a suspect. He is seen moving towards a parked motorcycle and within seconds there is an explosion.

Dadar Blast -- Amateur cellphone video

This video captures the first few seconds after a bomb exploded at Dadar on Wednesday (13-July-2011) evening.



Three explosions have killed 21 people and injured 113, in the biggest attack on the city since the 2008 assault.

Serial Blasts in Mumbai - 13th July 2011

Three blasts rocked Mumbai this evening, police said on Wednesday (13-July-2011). The blasts took place in Dadar, Opera House and Zaveri Bazar. At least 20 people are killed and over 100 injured in the blasts, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has confirmed.

Describing the serial blasts in Mumbai as a well "coordinated attack by terrorists", Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday appealed to the people to remain calm and maintain peace.

All cellphone users in Mumbai got this message from the Mumbai Police right after the serial blasts this evening. The SMS said, "Bomb blasts reported at Zaveri Bazaar, Dadar. Please be careful. Stay indoors. Watch news channels."

The Home Minister also said this evening that his office will brief the people through the media every two hours.

The terror strike coincided with the birthday of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in 26/11, who turned 24 today. Kasab has been sentenced to death by a trial court.

Indian Mujahedin has emerged as the group most likely behind the terror strikes.

After initially refusing to take a stand, Home Ministry has now described the blasts in Mumbai as serial bomb blasts.

Improvised explosive devices (IED) were used by the terrorists, says the Home Ministry.

PWD Minister Chaggan Bhujbal confirmed that three blasts have occurred.

Chennai Police summons Kalanidhi Maran

Chennai Police have summoned Kalanidhi Maran, the elder brother of former Telecom and Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran. The police have summoned Kalanidhi who heads the SUN TV Network which is the Maran-family-run business.

Born in 1964 in a family deep-rooted in politics, Kalanidhi is the son of former Union Minister of commerce Murasoli Maran, brother of ex-textile minister Dayanidhi Maran and grandnephew of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

A business owner, a media baron and the Forbes billionaire- Kalanidhi Maran, 47, owns television channels, magazines, news papers, DTH Service and FM Radio stations in South India. Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Sun TV Networks, Kalanidhi is television king of Southern India where his Sun TV rules.

A film distributor in Tamil Nadu has accused Sun Pictures of cheating and criminal intimidation. The Chief Operating Officer of Sun Pictures, Hansraj Saxena, was arrested recently.

Mr. Selvaraj alleged that he was cheated and threatened by Sun Pictures in connection with the release and distribution of the Tamil movie, Theeratha Vilaiyattu Pillai, the sources added.

“We have summoned Mr. Kalanithi Maran in his capacity as head of Sun Pictures. Since there are complaints of cheating, extortion, criminal intimidation against the Sun Pictures, we need to make enquiries with him,” a senior police official said.

PTI adds:

The counsel for Mr Kalanidhi has sought time saying his client is out of station and would return only on July 26.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Kumar told reporters that the plea has been accepted.

The film and television industry are keenly watching the outcome of this interrogation, it may be mentioned here.

Dilson murder case: Retired Army officer detained in Chennai

The CB-CID investigation into the killing of the 13 year old boy Dilshan inside an army residential complex in Chennai on July 3 was cracked in exactly a week's time.

A 50-year-old retired army officer was arrested on Sunday (10-July-2011) for the crime after he confessed that he was irritated by the boy's trespassing, police said.

After the retired Lieutenant Colonel confessed today to killing the 13-year-old inside an Army residential compound in Chennai, the Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigating Department (CB-CID) of the Tamil Nadu Police has said they will now seek capital punishment for the ex-Army man.

The retired Lt Colonel, Kandasamy Ramaraj, has been remanded to 15 days judicial custody, after he was produced in a court this evening.

"We are happy with the arrest of Ramaraj. Ramaraj should be given punishment the way my son has died. He should feel the same pain as my son did. There is nothing to blame anyone, entire nation has struggled for my son, including the police department, press and television media, lawyers, doctors, college students and chief minister Jayalalithaa," Dilshan's mother Kalaivani said.

"I want to thank everyone including political parties who have struggled to bring justice for my son," she added.

CB-CID chief Mr R Sekhar said that though initially police came to know there were only three children at the time of incident it later came to light that there was a fourth boy who informed them about a senior Army man who tried to erase the evidence.

With the help of fourth boy, police could zero in on Ramraj who initially refused to admit that he owned a licensed weapon but later confessed that he had applied for renewal of license with the suburban police, he said.

Dilshan, a Chennai teenager, was killed by a bullet while picking almonds, with his friends, inside the Island Grounds Army Residential complex in Chennai.

After having narrowed down the list of suspects to just two, a serving officer and Ramaraj, the police conducted intensive interrogation. Confronted with discrepancies in his version of the events, Ramaraj, the police said, confessed to having killed the boy and thrown the weapon in the Cooum river near the Napier bridge. After intensive searches, the police recovered the 0.3 mm rifle.

“It is an imported and licensed weapon. Enquiries revealed that the retired Army officer opened fire using the rifle on Dilson after he was seen throwing stones on a tree…he lives in a residential block located close to the scene of firing,” a senior police official said. Ramaraj had retired in April 2011 from the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Uttar Pradesh: Breach in Rahul Gandhi's security

A man carrying firearm in proximity of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, during his padyatra, was held by the SPG on Thursday (07-July-2011). Though the man was carrying a licensed pistol, he has been taken into custody by the UP police.

The man with a .32 bore revolver was nabbed by the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel in this village in Aligarh district when he was found nearing the second ring of the Congress leader’s security cordon.

Hari Mohan Sharma was nabbed by the SPG personnel at around 8.30 a.m. and was immediately handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police. Locals said he belongs to Tappal village and claimed that he is a Congress worker.

In his fight agaist UP Chief Minister Mayawati, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is undertaking a padyatra from Bhatta-Parsaul to Aligarh where a Mahapanchayat will be held on July 9.

At least 33 killed in train-bus collision in Uttar Pradesh

At least 33 people are reported dead, and over 30 injured in India after a bus carrying a wedding party was struck by a train at a level crossing in Uttar Pradesh state.

The pre-dawn accident occurred in Uttar Pradesh state, senior government official Selva Kumari J. told reporters. Local media said the bus was carrying 80 passengers who were returning from a wedding.

The railway crossing did not have a gate or an attendant, she said, typical of several such crossings in India.

People sitting on the roof of the bus were thrown off and seriously injured while those inside were crushed, reports the BBC's Ram Dutt Tripathi in Lucknow. No passengers on the train were hurt.

The bride and the groom were travelling in a separate vehicle and were not among the victims.

Many of the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital while efforts are continuing to free those trapped in the wreckage.

The accident occurred at Kanshiramnagar at around 2 am today (07-July-2011) when the train was on its way from Mathura to Chapra in Bihar.

"The train was passing this area around 1.55 am when it collided with the bus at the crossing. There was a loud noise, we didn't know what had happened. We found debris of the bus, some were seriously injured and some dead bodies were lying there. The train was going from Mathura to Chapra Expressway. The train had started from Mathura at 11.15 pm," said an eyewitness.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed grief at the tragic loss of lives in the accident and has ordered an inquiry. He has also ordered an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for all those seriously injured.

Dilshan shooting in Chennai - Army officials questioned by CBCID

The CB-CID on Tuesday (05-July-2011) began questioning military personnel and civilians on the shooting down of 13-year-old K Dilshan at the Army Cantonment in Chennai on July 3.

The Army has said that it is providing full assistance to the local police that is conducting an investigation into the Dilshan shooting case.

Forty-eight hours after Dilshan, 13, died of a gunshot injury inside the army premises in Chennai, a lieutenant-colonel is in the dock.

The boy was shot at in the head on Sunday after he trespassed into the army officer’s enclave. At night he died of his injuries. While the police had ruled out any civilian role in the shooting, the army had maintained that its men were not involved.

Police sources have told media that an initial probe suggests that the shot was fired from a high-velocity weapon indicating the use of a rifle just like one that the Lt Colonel possesses. The police also say that soon after the crime took place, they cordoned the entire area, but the weapon was not found in the premises indicating that the suspect had shifted it to an armory in the vicinity. The movement of the Lt Colonel's vehicle also suggests, sources say, that he had gone out of the place and come back again.

Signals from the mobile tower also confirm the officer's presence at the scene of the crime, sources say, though he denied he was present when questioned. The police sources say all these factors along with some statements being found to be untrue are now adding up to make the Lt Colonel a key suspect.

The Army has reportedly given three names to the investigators, and asked the personnel to cooperate with the probe.

However, identification of the assailant may not be easy as the key witness may not have actually seen the perpetrator of the crime.

Dilshan's mother Kalaivani, a resident of Indira Nagar Colony near the Army enclave, on Tuesday told reporters that the man who killed her son should meet the same end. "He should not be put in prison, but shot like he shot my son," a distraught Kalaivani said.

Treasure Trove in Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple - Rs 1 lakh crore and counting

A treasure has been discovered in India. It was found in the underground storage of a 16th century temple in the southern state of Kerala.

Call it the mother of all treasure hunts. The stock-taking by a panel of experts at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple has catapulted the shrine located in Kerala to the country's richest, with reports claiming that the value of recoveries may have touched close to Rs 1 lakh crore, more than Kerala public debt of Rs 70,969 crore.

The disclosure of the vault's contents is startling. So far, so good. The real challenge, however, lies in safeguarding the treasure. A beginning should be made by preparing a detailed, tamper-proof inventory. The valuables should also be preserved. Their intrinsic and antique value will only appreciate with time.

The invaluable treasure worth several millions belongs to the public. It was accumulated out of the revenue of the princely state over several centuries. It is not the private property of any royal family or the temple authorities. The treasure should be used for the much-needed infrastructural development of Kerala.

Amid conflicting opinions about future management of the treasure-trove found at Sree Padmanabhaswami temple, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Sunday (03-July-2011) the wealth would remain with the temple.

After a high-level meeting convened to assess the security at the temple, where the preparation of an inventory of the hidden treasure is on, Chandy said the gold and other priceless objects found there belonged to the temple. “The gold was offered to the lord. It is the property of the temple. The government will protect the wealth at the temple,” he said.

Kannada actress Maria Susairaj claims innocence (Neeraj murder case)

Maria Susairaj, an actress from Sandalwood (Kannada film industry), who walked out of jail today (02-July-2011) after serving more than three years behind bars in Neeraj Grover murder case, claimed she is innocent and the conviction is a 'stigma' on her life.

The starlet was found guilty under IPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and awarded the maximum punishment of three-year jail term along with boyfriend Emlie Jerome, a former navy officer.

While her lawyer defended her, Maria herself spoke just three words, "I am innocent," and said she will not talk more.

Maria's lawyer also made it clear that she is not going to join the film industry, even as film maker Ram Gopal Verma showed interest in casting her in his movie.

The 30-year-old Kannada actress, who has been under intense media glare ever since she was accused of being involved in the death of TV executive Neeraj Grover in 2008, chose a press conference to express her side of the story. This after she walked free today (02-July-2011) after spending three years in jail.

"I have left my past behind. I have not yet decided on (the) future. I will let my family decide," she said. Mariah said she painted and prayed in prison. "I have not yet digested the fact that I have been convicted, and I have not seen so many people in the past three years," she said.

However, both Maria and her lawyer Sherif Sheikh refused to comment on the case or the judgement or the victim Grover, saying the matter was still sub-judice.

Genitoplasty in Indore, MP govt asked to probe

Taking cognisance of a newspaper report about several hospitals and clinics in Indore performing surgeries on baby girls to change their sex, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the State government of Madhya Pradesh to undertake an investigation with a team of doctors, known for high professional competence and ethical standards.

Girls are being 'converted' into boys in Indore - by the hundreds every year - at ages where they cannot give their consent for this life-changing operation.

This shocking, unprecedented trend, catering to the fetish for a son, is unfolding at conservative Indore's well-known clinics and hospitals on children who are 1-5 years old.

The procedure, called genitoplasty, is recommended only for those children whose internal organs don’t match their external genitalia (for instance, someone who has male internal organs but female genitals and female hormone).

Women's and children's rights campaigners denounced the practice as a 'social madness' that made a 'mockery of women in India.'

NCPCR has sought a detailed report within 15 days, giving facts, figures and circumstances of the cases, list of doctors/hospitals practising genitoplasty and action taken or contemplated against them.

It also wants to know the measures taken by the Madhya Pradesh government at the State/district and local level in terms of publicity/awareness campaign against the adverse effects of sex change operations as well as female foeticide and infanticide.

It has asked the government why measures to create awareness against preference for a male child have been ineffective.

Alerted by the newspaper report that hundreds of girl children in Indore are being operated on to turn them into boys, the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Madhya Pradesh health department on Sunday (27-June-2011) recommended measures to ensure that parents hankering for male children don’t exploit such ‘corrective’ surgeries with the help of corrupt doctors.

Genitoplasty experts of Indore say each of them have turned 200-300 girls into 'boys' so far. The low cost of surgery (Rs 1.5 lakh), relatively easy and unobtrusive ways of getting it done and vague laws are even attracting parents from Delhi and Mumbai.

Cops say murder of J Dey was contract killing

The Mumbai Crime Branch claimed to have made a major breakthrough in the J Dey murder case late on Sunday (26-June-2011) night.

“We have cracked the case. At least five persons have been detained from the state as well as from outside the state,” a senior Crime Branch official said.

J Dey (56), working with the city-based English tabloid MiD-Day, was shot dead by four motorcycle-borne assailants in suburban Powai on June 11.

Dey was shot at from close range, reportedly by professionals, and a total of 5 bullets entered his body.

The Mumbai Police claim to have made a breakthrough in the murder case of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, with the arrest of seven people.

Police sources said it seemed like a case of contract killing and that the shooters were suspected to be members of the Chhota Rajan gang.

The seven people, from Mumbai and Karnataka, were arrested after several rounds of questioning; more than 70 suspects have been questioned by the police so far.

The Mumbai Police Commissioner will hold a press conference later today to share all details of the case.