Mumbai police, after claiming to have cracked the murder case of senior crime reporter of the Mid-Day tabloid Mr Jyotirmoy Dey, said today that it was a contract killing and the murder was committed on the orders of the underworld don Chota Rajan.Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik however could not disclose the motive behind the murder. “We have an inkling of the motive and we will reveal it after making sure through proper investigations,” he told media persons at his office in Mumbai.

The hit men conducted recces at Dey’s office and at his residence in Powai before they put their plan into action. The recces were conducted by Rajan henchman and main shooter Rohit Thangappan alias Satish Kalia who shot Dey with a sophisticated, foreign made .32 bore revolver.

Kalia and his six accomplices received Rs 5 lakh totally for eliminating the journalist, said the officer adding that the shooters came to know that they have killed a journalist only after the act. “On the instructions of Rajan, the killers left for several places across India and the first arrests were made in Tamil Nadu.

The arrested were produced before the criminal court in Mumbai and the court ordered them to police custody till July 4 for further questioning.