JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Who is Jigna Vora? Know all about journalist Jagruti Pathak played by Karishma Tanna in Netflix's Scoop
Before you watch Hansal Mehta and Karishma Tanna's series Scoop, here's everything you need to know about Mumbai-based journalist Jigna Vora.
-
Hansal Mehta's series Scoop starring Karishma Tanna is streaming on Netflix.
-
It is based on real-life story of Jigna Vora, who was arrested in the killing of J Dey in 2011.
-
After she was acquitted of charges, she wrote her book Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison.
Karishma Tanna, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja, and Prosenjit Chatterjee starrer Scoop is released on Netflix today. Directed by Hansal Mehta, it is one of the most exciting series of 2023. In the past, Mehta impressed everyone with his series Scam 1992 and hence netizens were eagerly waiting to watch Scoop. What makes it even more interesting is that the series is based on the real-life story of Mumbai-based journalist Jigna Vora, who was arrested for reportedly conspiring with gangster Chhota Rajan in the killing of veteran crime reporter J Dey in 2011. Before you watch the series, here's everything you need to know about Jigna Vora.
Who is Jigna Vora?
Jigna was a crime reporter who worked for a renowned newspaper in Mumbai. She studied law at Mumbai's Ruparel College and went on to do a diploma course. She was influenced to take up crime reporting by one of the faculty members. While she was working as an intern with a law firm, her parents forced her to leave the opportunity to marry a man who was supposedly an engineer and ran a printing press in Gujarat. Later, when she realised that none of it was true, their marriage ended on a bad note. In 2004, she returned to Mumbai with her four-year-old son and decided to pursue her career in media. She started her journey in media in 2005 as a court reporter. 
In December 2005, Jigna covered her first underworld story when gangster Chhota Rajan’s wife Sujata Nikhalje was arrested for extortion threats against a builder. But it was in 2011 when Jigna came into the limelight as she was one of the suspects in the murder conspiracy of crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
All about J Dey's murder
The senior reporter J Dey was shot by unidentified assailants in Hiranandani, Powai. Reportedly, the killers were later identified as a group connected to gangster Chhota Rajan. The Mumbai Police charged Jigna and Chhota Rajan in J Dey's murder after the initial investigation. She ended up being one of the suspects because she had interviewed the underworld don a few weeks ago and it went against her. Vora was charged for giving details about Dey, including his residence and the license plate number of his bike to Rajan. She spent nine months in jail and was released on bail in 2012. Later in 2016, the case was handed over to the CBI. She denied all the allegations against her and said that she contacted Rajan just for an interview.
Jigna Vora's acquittal
Years after the trial, Jigna was cleared of all the accusations after seven years in the 2018 special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court due to lack of evidence. After she was acquitted of all charges, she wrote her memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, on which Mehta's series Scoop is based on. Jigna wrote about her trauma of being framed for murder. In her book, she also wrote about how she firmly denied the allegations that were made against her.
Details from Jigna Vora's memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison
Her memoir has details about her horrifying experience in jail. She has also written about court hearings and the time when she worked as a crime reporter breaking front-page stories. Jigna revealed that she was asked to strip by lady constables while she was on her period, and also opened up about her friendship with Pragya Thakur in jail. An excerpt from her book read, "On my aluminum plate, I had two chapatis, dal, and some vegetables. Strands of black hair floated in the watery dal. I put the plate aside and wept again. Pangs of pain cramped my stomach. I had hardly eaten since my arrest. I felt weak and exhausted, but I could not bring myself to eat the food I had been served."
She also shared her time in jail scrubbing toilets, and cells and the plight of female prisoners. Jigna, who is now a tarot reader and healer, shared details about the charges that were levelled against her and how the cops found presumptive evidence of her links with gangster Rajan. Reportedly, Jigna currently stays in Mumbai with her son. Although, her exact location hasn't been verified.
Hansal Mehta's Scoop
Mehta's Scoop is currently streaming on Netflix. Karishma is essaying the role of journalist Jagruti Pathak, who is accused of helping Rajan kill her colleague Jaideb Sen. The names of most of the people have been changed but Chhota Rajan’s name is used as is.
All you need to know about Scoop
Latest Articles
