Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS): Raja Thakare was appointed as a special public prosecutor Tuesday by the Maharashtra government for the trial of 11 accused in the murder of Mumbai journalist J. Dey.

"I received a notification pertaining to the appointment and hence appeared in the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court Tuesday," Thakare told IANS.

Dey, Mid-Day newspaper's editor (special investigations) was gunned down near his residence in central Mumbai's Powai by motorcycle-borne assailants June 11 last year.

Thakare has been handling several other sensitive cases as a special public prosecutor including the July 11, 2006 serial train blasts, the Aurangabad arms haul case and murder case against gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli.

Mumbai Police have arrested 11 accused in the Dey case, the latest being woman journalist Jigna Vora. She works as a deputy bureau chief with a Mumbai daily and was arrested Nov 25 last year.

MCOCA Special Judge S.M. Modak adjourned the bail plea hearing of two accused in the case till Jan 24.

Accused Anil Waghmode and Deepak Sisodia had earlier applied for bail on medical grounds.