Mumbai, Aug 27 (IANS): The Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the acquittal of former journalist Jigna Vora, the sole woman accused in the sensational 2011 murder of fellow scribe Jyotirmoy Dey.

A division bench of Justice B. P. Dharmadhikari and Justice S. K. Shinde, upheld the acquittal by the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act Special Court in May this year, ruling that "the prosecution had failed to prove her involvement" in the killing.

Deported gangster Rajendra S. Nikhalje, alias Chhota Rajan, and eight others were found guilty in the same case in May 2018 and have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Besides Rajan, the others convicted are Rohit Joseph, Sachin Gaikwad, Deepak Sisodia, Mangesh Agvane, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shedge, Arun Doke, and Abhijit Shinde.

Vora and another accused Paulson Joseph were acquitted in the case.

Giving its ruling in an appeal filed by the prosecution against the MCOCA Special Court's verdict acquitting Vora, the Bombay High Court said: "There is no direct evidence showing that the accused (Vora) had any knowledge of the crime. It cannot be held that the accused was complicit in the conspiracy to kill Dey."

Dey, 56, then the Editor-Investigations of Mumbai English eveninger 'Mid-Day', was shot dead near house in Powai on the morning of June 11, 2011, by two motorcycle-borne gunmen, sending shockwaves in media, police and political circles.