Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 26 December 2025
S. Gangaya, the prime accused and alleged mastermind in the brutal murder of journalist Sahadev Dey, died at G.B. Pant Hospital in Sri Vijaya Puram on the evening of December 25, reportedly due to prolonged illness. Gangaya had been in judicial custody since his arrest in connection with the high-profile case that shook the Andaman and Nicobar Islands earlier this year.
Sahadev Dey, founder of the local digital news platform News Republic Andaman, was murdered on March 29, 2025, at Diglipur in North and Middle Andaman. The killing sparked widespread outrage among journalists and civil society, raising serious concerns over press safety in the Islands.
According to police investigations, Gangaya, son of Salapathi and a resident of R.K. Gram, allegedly planned and executed the murder with the help of three accomplices — A. Ramasubramaniyan (47) of Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu; Bithika Mallick (38), a resident of Kalipur, Diglipur; and M. Ramesh (45), a mason originally from Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, who was then residing in D.B. Gram.
Police stated that after killing Dey, the accused transported his body to an under-construction hotel site owned by Gangaya at D.B. Gram, where it was set on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence. However, despite what police described as “elaborate efforts” to conceal the crime, forensic experts were rushed to Diglipur and successfully collected crucial evidence. Investigators identified the exact crime scene using scientific and technical methods and recovered the murder weapon, clothes worn by the accused, and the journalist’s mobile phone and bag.
In an official press statement earlier, police confirmed that Gangaya was the chief conspirator who orchestrated the crime.
Sources said Gangaya had been unwell for some time while in custody. His post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted today to ascertain the exact cause of death.
