The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemned the killing of an Indian journalist in Mumbai on 11 June. Jyotirmoy Dey was killed on the spot after being shot at several times by four men in a carefully planned operation in broad daylight, IPI’s India National Committee reported.

Dey was the special investigations editor at the Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day and had been covering the city’s underworld for over two decades. The exact reason behind his death remains unclear; however it is reportedly likely that his writing had offended powerful criminal forces. Dey is said to have published several articles regarding the oil mafia and to have been looking further into its activities at the time of his death.

“The audacity of the murder in broad daylight demonstrates the power of forces involved in criminal activities that were the focus of Dey’s writing and the stakes involved,” IPI’s India National Committee said in a written statement. “That the brutal killing happened not in a conflict zone but in the heart of the country’s commercial capital of Mumbai is extremely troubling. It shows that not just covering wars and conflicts but even covering crime can be a dangerous business.”

Under pressure from media organizations and the government, the police have launched an investigation into the journalist’s death, local media reported. The Assistant Commissioner of Police in Mumbai (ACP) Anil Mahabole was reportedly transferred to a different unit after he was suspected of having threatened the slain journalist over recent articles.

Mahabole has allegedly already been suspected of threatening another Mumbai journalist several weeks ago. Tarakant Dwivedi, also known by the name of Akela, was arrested on 18 May for a story published in the city’s largest tabloid, Mumbai Mirror, India’s daily The Hindu reported. His article exposed damage to the Railway Protection Force’s armoury due to leaks in the roof. Dwivedi was reportedly later released on bail.

Dey is the third journalist killed in India in the past half year, IPI research shows. Reporters Sushil Pathak with the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar and Umesh Rajput with the daily Nai Duniya were both shot and killed within just over a month.
IPI Press Freedom Manager Anthony Mills said: “We offer our condolences to the family and colleagues of Mr. Dey, and we urge the authorities to continue with a thorough investigation of his death. With three victims in nearly six months, it is evident that the government needs to provide greater protection for journalists in the country.”