In a major success, police today gunned down notorious Maoist renegade-turned-gangster Mohammed Nayeemuddin, wanted in a string of cases including the murder of an IPS officer in 1993, in a chance exchange of fire outside Shadnagar town in Mahabubnagar district of state.
Nayeemuddin (45), also known as Nayeem alias 'Balanna', was wanted for the last several years in cases of murder, killings for gain, extortion and kidnapping and had been evading arrest.
The incident occurred when police teams, while tracking a case of attempted extortion registered in Nizamabad district, came under fire from a suspiciously moving SUV near Millennium Colony on the outskirts of Shadnagar, said Mahabubnagar SP, Rema Rajeswari.
"After noticing the police team, one of the persons, who was driving the SUV, opened fired at police and fled. Meanwhile, another person got down from the vehicle and he too tried to fire at police and in retaliation police fired at him resulting in his death," Rajeswari said, adding that police fired in self-defence.
Elaborating on the sequence of events, the officer stated in a release that Dichpally Circle police inspector, V Thirupathi was investigating a case registered under section 385 of IPC and under provisions of IT Amendment Act, 2008, in which the complainant was threatened with dire consequences by a suspected gang, by demanding Rs 1 crore.
"The case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and under relevant sections of Arms Act, besides 174 CrPC was registered in Shadnagar Town police station based on the complaint given by V Thirupathi.
"As part of the investigation into this case, the inspector came to Shadnagar to pursue the leads. In the process, an exchange of fire ensued between the police party and the suspected criminal gang," the SP stated in a release.
According to the SP, Nayeemuddin, hailing from Bhongir town in Nalgonda district, got attracted towards the erstwhile CPI-ML People's War group's ideology while studying in Bhongir Degree College in year 1990.
"He later joined Radical Student Union (RSU) of CPI ML (PW) and was made the organiser of RSU Bhongir town in year 1991. Later, he was arrested by Yadagirgutta Police and a tapancha (country-made weapon) and a grenade were seized from him," the release stated.
After his release from jail, Nayeemuddin again went underground and joined Aleru Dalam of CPI ML (PW) as a member, and assumed the alias "Balanna".
As part of an action team, Nayeemuddin had killed the then DIG of Police, K S Vyas at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad on January 27, 1993.
