Hundreds of journalists gathered in the streets of Mumbai Monday to protest the killing of a prominent crime reporter in the city.

Reporters and editors marched to the office of the chief minister of Maharashtra state, demanding that federal authorities investigate the death of 56-year-old Jyotirmoy Dey, who was shot and killed near his home on Saturday.

Police say the brazen daytime attack, carried out by four gunmen on motorbikes, has shaken the city.

The Mumbai Press Club says Dey's death underscores the increasing threat to investigative journalists from powerful political and business interests involved in illegal activities.

Some reports have linked his murder to a series of articles he wrote recently on the so-called “oil mafia,” or groups that dilute petrol with subsidized kerosene that they steal from tankers.

Dey wrote two books and a number of articles on organized crime in Mumbai.

The journalists are calling for a new law which will ban bail for people charged with threatening or attacking journalists.