Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 10 April 2025
Diglipur Police have solved the sensational murder case of a digital media reporter, Sahadev Dey, and arrested four accused individuals involved in the premeditated crime. Dey, a 38-year-old resident of R K Gram and the founder and reporter of the YouTube channel “News Republic Andaman,” was reported missing on 30 March 2025 by his wife, Debadriti Dey.
The complaint, filed at PS Diglipur, prompted swift action by the police, who immediately constituted multiple teams to trace the missing journalist using a combination of technical and human intelligence. The breakthrough came when CCTV footage from 29 March 2025 showed the victim near the fish market in Diglipur around 8 PM. Further scanning of nearby cameras revealed a suspicious vehicle in the vicinity at approximately 10:45 PM that same night.
The vehicle was traced back to one S. Gangaya, son of Salapathi, a resident of R K Gram. During initial questioning at PS Diglipur, Gangaya attempted to mislead investigators but eventually confessed to the murder. He revealed that he, along with his associates, had executed a plot to eliminate Sahadev Dey due to personal grudges stemming from a prior tussle.
Following the confession, a formal case (FIR No. 24/2025 dated 01/04/2025) under Sections 103(1), 61(2), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 was registered at PS Diglipur. Given the gravity of the crime, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the supervision of Mr. Ankesh Yadav, DANIPS, SDPO Diglipur, and Inspector Vijay Kumar, SHO, PS Diglipur.
The investigation revealed that Gangaya had orchestrated the murder and enlisted three other individuals to assist him:
1. A. Ramasubramaniyan (47), S/o Alagu, a native of Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu, currently residing in D B Gram,
2. Bithika Mallick (38), W/o Binoy Biswas, resident of Kalipur, Diglipur, and
3. M. Ramesh (45), S/o Murugeshan, a mason and permanent resident of Ramnad District, Tamil Nadu, now living in D B Gram.
According to police, Bithika Mallick, who had known the victim for sometime, was used by Gangaya to lure Dey to a building on 29 March 2025. Ramasubramaniyan had been called in advance from Tamil Nadu to aid in the murder. Ramesh was roped in for both the execution of the crime and subsequent destruction of evidence.
At approximately 8:15 PM on the day of the murder, the victim reached the designated location, where the accused carried out a brutal assault and killed him as per their plan. The body was then transported to an under-construction hotel site owned by Gangaya at D B Gram, where it was completely burnt in an attempt to destroy all evidence.
Despite the accused making elaborate efforts to conceal the crime, forensic experts were promptly summoned to Diglipur and successfully lifted critical evidence linking the accused to the murder. The exact location of the crime was identified using scientific and technical investigation. The police also recovered the murder weapon, clothes worn by the accused during the crime, as well as the deceased’s mobile phone and bag after extensive efforts.
Police confirmed that S. Gangaya is the main conspirator and mastermind behind the murder, having planned and executed the crime with the help of the other three accused.
All four individuals have been remanded to judicial custody following their appearance before the Hon’ble Court. The investigation is ongoing, and the seized exhibits will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Sri Vijaya Puram and other Central Forensic Science Laboratories for further biological and technical analysis. Authorities have assured that a chargesheet will be submitted at the earliest.
The Andaman & Nicobar Police have appealed to the public to share any credible information regarding criminal or illegal activities by contacting the nearest police station or through helpline numbers 100, 112, and 03192-273344. The identity of informants will be kept confidential and they will be suitably rewarded. (Story Based on PR from SP, North & Middle Andaman)