Hyderabad: Telangana police was gearing up for action against political leaders including members of the State Assembly and Legislative Council for their alleged links with the Maoist-turned-dreaded gangster Mohammad Nayeemuddin.
Having suspended five police officials and ordering departmental action against 16 other officers, the police top brass was now focusing on the politicians who had extended their patronage and protection to the illegal activities of Nayeem and his gang.
The action was being launched on the basis of solid evidence including photographs of Nayeem with the officers and politicians.
Names of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader and vice-chairman of Legislative Council N Vidya Sagar Rao and another TRS leader Chintala Venkat Reddy, from Bhongir, find a place in the list of politicos likely to face action. Three other MLAs of TRS and opposition were also facing probes.
Police sources said in the first phase, action will be taken against the big fish and later other lower level political leaders including village heads, also called Sarpanch, and Zilla Parishad and Mandal Parishad members will be brought to book.
Some of them had taken Nayeem’s help to encroach upon others’ properties and some were even involved in murder cases.
After leaving the Maoist movement and working as a police agent, Nayeem had formed a gang of criminals and indulged in activities such as extortion, land grabbing and private settlements in Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar and Ranga Reddy district. He also faced several cases of abduction, murder and attempt to murder.
After his death in police encounter in August last year at Shadnagar near Hyderabad hundreds of victims of his atrocities approached police with the details of how their lands and properties were grabbed and registered in the name of Nayeem’s family members and associates.
During the probe the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Nagi Reddy came across evidence of how many police officials had helped Nayeem in this criminal enterprise.
When questioned about how so many properties and lands were registered in Nayeem’s family members’ names a sub registrar in Nalgonda district told the police officials that he was threatened by Nayeem’s gang. Police has sent a report to the Inspector General of Registration and Stamps department about the sub registrar.
There were speculations that some pages of Nayeem’s diary were missing and the SIT was trying to find who all had touched the diary after it was seized from one of Nayeem’s dens.
