Jigna Vora (Bigg Boss) Age, Husband, Family, Biography & More StarsUnfolded

May 03, 2024

Quick Info→

Age: 49 Years

Marital Status: Separated

Hometown: Mumbai

Some Lesser Known Facts About Jigna Vora

Jigna Vora is a former crime reporter who gained attention in 2011 when she was arrested for her alleged involvement in the murder of renowned journalist Jyotirmoy Dey (affectionately known as J Dey). However, she was acquitted of all charges in 2018. Throughout her career, she worked for various media houses like the Free Press Journal, Mid-day, Mumbai Mirror, and the Asian Age. While in prison, she experienced a spiritual transformation that inspired her to become a consciousness healer and Aatmic Awareness teacher. Apart from that, she is also a professional tarot card reader and astrologist.

She was inspired to pursue a career in crime reporting by watching Velly Thevar, a renowned crime reporter from The Times of India, who was also her faculty at K. J. Somaiya.

In 1998, she got married at the behest of her parents and moved to Bharuch, Gujarat. It was an arranged marriage for which she had to give up her internship at a well-known law firm. They had informed her that her husband was an engineer who ran a printing press in Bharuch. However, she eventually discovered that the claims were untrue, which resulted in a troubled marriage and eventual separation.
An old picture of Jigna Vora

In 2004, she returned to her maternal home in Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar, along with her son, and decided to pursue a career in media.

After finishing her formal education, she secured a job as a court reporter at the Free Press Journal (FPJ) in November 2005. She remained there for a period of 10 months. Her first assignment involved covering the case of gangster Abu Salem at the special TADA court in Arthur Road Jail.

Over the next six years, she gained recognition for her work in crime reporting, progressing from a novice reporter to the position of deputy chief of the bureau at an English newspaper.

In 2006, she joined Mumbai Mirror as a court reporter, where she was assigned to cover the sessions court in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai.

In December 2005, she reported on her first underworld story, which involved the arrest of Chhota Rajan‘s wife Sujata Nikalje under the MCOCA for making extortion threats against a builder.

Subsequently, she became a senior correspondent for the sessions court at Mid-Day, where she worked with J Dey.

Her major story about the controversial encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma garnered significant attention nationwide.

In May 2008, she started working at the Asian Age, a publication affiliated with Deccan Chronicle. As a reporter, she covered the stories of various defendants, including Fahmeeda (a bomb blast suspect), Maria Susairaj (an accused in the high-profile Neeraj Grover murder case), and Jaya Chheda (accused of murdering her husband).

Some of her other notable reports involved a series of articles on the killing of gangland operative Fareed Tanasha in Tilaknagar, coverage of right-wing terror groups from Gujarat, and an Andheri land scam centred around a landlord who had been mistakenly declared deceased multiple times despite being alive.

In 2011, prior to her arrest for alleged involvement in J Dey’s murder, she held the position of Deputy Chief of Bureau at Asian Age.

Before her arrest, Jigna Vora was the subject of various rumours. In August 2011, a fellow reporter informed Vora about speculations surrounding her alleged extramarital affair with Dey. The rumours further claimed that Dey had impregnated her but denied any responsibility towards her and the child. Additionally, it was suggested that a professional rivalry developed between Vora and Dey concerning Rajan’s associate, Farid Tanasha, had allegedly led her to conspire against Dey. Sources mentioned that Vora unexpectedly booked tickets to Sikkim on 7th June 2011 and left for a vacation without obtaining proper leave. However, it should be noted that Vora had actually made the ticket bookings two months prior, and several of her colleagues, including Zaidi, who had approved the leave, were aware of her planned trip.
A picture of Jigna Vora’s arrest

In her book Behind Bars in Byculla (2019), she revealed that her father had a drinking problem, which had a negative impact on her childhood and family. Her mother, Harshaben, passed away on 9 June 2015 after suffering a heart attack.

In an interview, she revealed that she tried to apply for jobs after her acquittal in 2018, but she was always rejected for having a criminal record. She said,
Even now when I apply for a job, I get told that HR has a policy of not hiring a person with a criminal record. Where do I go? What do I do?”
On 11 May 2018, Himanshu Roy, the investigator in the J Dey murder case, tragically shot himself at his home. It was reported that he had been battling cancer for a long time. In 2015, he was initially diagnosed with cancer in his ankle, which later spread to his brain, leading to a state of depression. At the time of his passing, he held the position of ADGP (Establishment) Maharashtra.

While in prison, she underwent a spiritual transformation and subsequently pursued a career as a consciousness healer and Aatmic Awareness teacher. She conducts meditation classes and offers private consultations on healing techniques. Additionally, she works as a professional tarot card reader, conducting sessions at her residence.

In the year 2019, she released the book titled Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, which recounted her arrest in relation to the J. Dey murder case, her experiences during her imprisonment, the court proceedings, and her career as a crime reporter.

In 2023, filmmaker Hansal Mehta released the drama series Scoop on Netflix, which was adapted from Jigna Vora’s autobiographical memoir, Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison. The series featured Karishma Tanna in the leading role.

Jigna appeared as a contestant in a reality show titled ‘Bigg Boss 17,’ which aired on Colors TV.
Jigna Vora’s Instagram post after being selected as a contestant for the reality show ‘Bigg Boss 17’ (2023)

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