Telangana encounter: 5 cops suspended for alleged ‘links’ with slain gangster Nayeemuddin

Nayeemuddin had been killed in a police encounter last year. (Source: File Photo)

Telangana government on Thursday suspended five police officers for suspected links with Naxal-turned-gangster Mohammed Nayeemuddin, who was killed in an encounter last year at Shadnagar in Mahabubnagar district. Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Sharma announced the suspension orders on Thursday. This is the first time the state government has acted against police officers having nexus with Nayeemuddin and his gang.

The suspended officers are: Additional Superintendent of Police (CID) Maddipati Srinivas Rao, Assistant Commissioners of Police serving in Hyderabad M Srinivas Rao and Chintamaneni Srinivas, and Circle Inspectors Ramgopal and Mastan. A police source told IANS that further action could be taken against the suspended officers if their assets were disproportionate to their source of income. The five officers had been posted in different parts of the state. An inquiry has also been conducted against three deputy superintendents of police, a police inspector and 16 other police officials, reported PTI.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted to probe the cases against Nayeemuddin and his alleged links with politicians and gangsters. The suspensions reportedly came after Inspector General of Police Y Nagi Reddy, who was leading the SIT, submitted a report which showed links between the police officers and Nayeemuddin, The Deccan Chronicle reported. The suspended cops had reportedly received direct benefits from Nayeemuddin in cash and kind. They had also been serving in the areas operated by Nayeemuddin and his gang.

Apart from being involved in land grabbing, extortion, kidnapping cases, the slain gangster was wanted in several cases including murder of IPS officer K L Vyas. Nayeemuddin had also worked as a police informer to counter Left-wing extremism in the region after his expulsion from the People’s War Group.