Even though the Special Investigation Team headed by IGP Nagi Reddy has started work on unearthing the total extent of Maoist renegade Mohammed Nayeemuddin’s illegal empire, not everyone is convinced that it will do a fair job of the investigation. The reason being the question mark over the connections of several senior police officers, many of them now retired, with Nayeem. Will Reddy be able to summon and question any of them?
Which is why now the demand to hand over the case to the CBI is growing. Especially in light of the fact that the case also seems to have threads to Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, where Nayeem had properties. He also had connections with people and underground groups operating in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Is the composition of the SIT competent enough to handle a case of this magnitude?
The Congress has been the first to ask for a more multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary and inter-state investigation, while making it clear that it is holding no brief for the gangster, who was notorious for indulging in extortion and murders. It makes sense too given that a large amount of cash (nearly 2.5 crore) has been recovered from his homes in Hyderabad. The recovery of two AK-47 assault rifles, sten gun and other ammunition means their source needs to be probed into.
“What is the make of the weapons? Pakistan, China or were they stolen from Army or police? How were they smuggled into Hyderabad? Were they supplied by police themselves? This issue involves threat to national security and a SIT consisting of police inspectors will not be able to find out the truth,” says Shabbir Ali, Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council.
The big battle for the police to fight is with perception. For a good part of the Telugu Desam regime, Nayeem was tapped by senior officers for information on naxals and sometimes also allegedly used for targeting Maoist sympathisers like human rights activists. Once he branched out into settling land deals, the allegation is that many of these cops also benefited from his largesse and ability to swing a deal using muscle power. Will the SIT go into the darker side of khaki?
It would seem strange that one of the most wanted men in Telangana was living in Hyderabad under the police nose and the cops officially did not have a clue to it. But the moment he was gunned down, they found his homes in no time. Will the SIT peruse his call data records and question all the big fish who were in touch with Nayeem and used him for their work?
The Telangana police is trying hard to paint Nayeem as a criminal, which he undoubtedly was, while trying to gloss over the role of any of the men in uniform in his misdeeds. If the SIT does a cover-up job, it would be only hurting its own image, which is already suspect.
Then of course, there is the question mark over whether Nayeem was killed in a fake encounter. Both his mother and Human rights Forum have alleged it was not above board. Will the SIT probe that as well or will the government order a judicial probe into it? Was he killed because an alive Nayeem would have spilled many secrets which may not have been palatable to the political and police establishment.
SIT needs to stand up and be counted. Otherwise it will only be indulging in hogwash.
