Who is Jigna Vora: Hansal Mehta’s Scoop, one of the most anticipated Netflix is based on the true tale of Mumbai-based journalist Jigna Vora, who was arrested in 2011 for allegedly conspiring with gangster Chhota Rajan in the murder of veteran crime reporter J Dey, the series depicts the journalist’s life. While Rajan was given a life sentence for the murder, Vora was absolved seven years later.
Karishma Tanna plays the main role in Scoop, which is based on Vora’s memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja, and Prosenjit Chatterjee play supporting roles. In the trailer, Tanna states, “Problem yeh hai ki, either you break the story or the story breaks you.” This perfectly describes the journey of Vora.
Who is Jigna Vora?
Vora was a correspondent who covered crimes for the Mumbai-based newspaper Asian Age. She received her law degree from Ruparel College in Mumbai and subsequently completed a diploma programme at Somaiya College, where Velly Thevar, a prominent crime reporter for the Times of India, influenced her to pursue a career in crime reporting. Vora was compelled by her parents to give up her internship with a reputable law firm in order to enter into a marriage with a purported engineer who operated a printing press in Baruch, Gujarat. She subsequently learned that these assertions were false, and the marriage ended on a sour note. In May of 2004, Vora relocated returned to her mother’s home in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, where she decided to pursue a career in the media while raising her four-year-old son.
Vora joined the Free Press Journal (FPJ) as a court correspondent in November 2005, and her first assignment was to cover the trial of gangster Abu Salem at the TADA court located within Arthur Road Jail. After three years in the FPJ, Vora was hired by the Mumbai Mirror, where her designated beat was the Kala Ghoda sessions court. She became a crime reporter as a result of her interactions with numerous accused and notorious criminals. Vora covered her first underworld story in December 2005, when gangster Rajan’s wife, Sujata Nikhalje, was apprehended for making extortion threats against a builder. While working for Mid-Day, Vora embarked on a national-shaking story about the controversial encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma.
In 2008, Vora joined the Asian Age and covered the sensational story of Jaya Chheda, who plotted her ex-husband’s murder to gain control of his flourishing Mumbai business.
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J Dey Murder Case
In 2011, both her life and her promising career came to an end. Vora was 37 years old and served as the Mumbai bureau’s deputy bureau chief for the Asian Age. She was one of the two primary suspects in the assassination of crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey (J Dey), who was shot and killed in Mumbai by unknown assailants in Hiranandani, Powai, in front of witnesses. The assassins were eventually identified as members of a seven-person gang affiliated with the criminal Chhot Rajan. The Mumbai police accused Rajan and Vora after conducting an initial investigation.
In 2016, the case was transferred to the CBI. In spite of Vora’s denials and claims that she only contacted the mobster for an interview, the charges against her indicated otherwise. The Mumbai police arrested Vora on November 25, 2011, in connection with the investigation. She was accused of providing information about Dey, including his address and motorcycle number plate number, to Rajan. In 2012, following nine months in prison, she was released on parole from Byculla Jail in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in 2018 absolved her of all charges after seven years due to a lack of evidence.
Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison
After overcoming this difficult period in her life, Vora is now a tarot reader and healer who has been using astrology to heal people and forecast their future for the past five years. She is also conducting research and writing web series and films on the subject. In Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, she details the trauma she experienced after being falsely accused of murder. Vora recounted how, following her arrest, she was interrogated by her fellow detainees and categorically disputed all allegations made against her.
She described traumatic prison days and nights, judicial proceedings, and her years as a crime reporter who broke numerous front-page stories. Vora also revealed that she was ordered to undress by female police officers while on her period, and she disclosed her friendship with Pragya Thakur in prison.
“On my aluminium plate, I had two chapatis, some dal, and some vegetables.”Black hair strands drifted in the watery dal. I set the plate down and sobbed once more. My stomach cramped with agony. I hadn’t consumed much since my arrest. I was weak and exhausted, but I refused to consume the food that was served to me,” she wrote in the book.
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In the book, she also described the plight of female prisoners at Byculla Jail, where she spent her days consuming unhygienic food, scrubbing toilets, and occupying a cell with so little illumination that she could not see her fellow inmates. The book elaborated on the accusations made against her and how investigators discovered circumstantial evidence of her ties to the gangster Rajan.
Jigna Vora to be the part of Bigg Boss 17
Fans watched Bigg Boss 17 on Sunday night, and many were shocked to see Jigna Vora among the participants. She spent a few months in jail after being charged with the murder of another senior reporter. She was formerly a crime reporter.
Jigna Vora told that she was “nervous as well as excited” about her new trip before appearing on the Salman Khan-hosted show. She continued by saying that no one could have predicted she would be on Bigg Boss. “After Scoop came out, I gained some awareness, and I believe that prompted the producers to get in touch with me. She said with a big smile, “It was as much of a surprise to me as it would be to the world now.
The former journalist admitted that her son had pushed her to participate on Bigg Boss so that more people might hear about her experience. “Today’s generation wants to be completely out there,” she remarked. He is now 23 years old and feels that the world should be made aware of his mother’s tale. He is the main reason I’m here because he told me this is the next big thing after the series. In his opinion, everyone should be aware of you because via this show, you will reach crores of viewers while only a thousand people will have read your book.
Jigna Vora continued by sharing a moving narrative about her time in prison and how many inmates aspired to be like “Bigg Boss.” “This is my new journey, from Byculla to Bigg Boss,” she remarked. As I had written in my book, I would speak with prisoners during my leisure time, and we would say things like, “After getting out of jail, we would go to Bigg Boss.” We were just having fun, but I suppose the cosmos was paying attention. In my life, this is such a fantastic coincidence.
Watch the Scoop Trailer Here: