By IANS,
Hyderabad : A rights group in Andhra Pradesh Sunday alleged that Aziz Reddy, a gangster, was killed in a `fake’ gun battle encounter by the police.
The Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) demanded that policemen involved in the incident be booked for murder and the government order a judicial inquiry.
Aziz Reddy, an underworld gang leader and suspected to be a close associate of Mumbai mafia don Chhota Rajan, was gunned down during a gun battle with the police in the upmarket Jubliee Hills area on the night of April 30.
The police claimed that he opened fire when stopped by a police team. The team fired in self-defence, killing the gangster. The police officers said that he and three of his associates were moving in the area to extort money from businessmen. His associates managed to escape, the police said.
However, the APCLC claimed that no exchange of fire took place and Aziz Reddy was gunned down in fake gun battle to cover up his alleged links with some influential people. “The road in Jubliee Hills was closed for traffic so that the police could finish their job without any hassle,” said APCLC leader Raghunath Rao.
Fresh evidence has emerged about Aziz Reddy demanding money from film producer Nikhil Reddy. Local television channels aired telephonic conversation between them. The producer complained to the police that the gangster was threatening him over phone.
Aziz Reddy tried to settle a monetary dispute between Nikhil and his partner. He was coercing the producer to pay Rs.4 million to his partner.
The police are also trying to trace Humayun Khan, a tourist operator who was in regular touch with Aziz Reddy. The gangster often met Khan, who was also a ‘tantrik’ and conducted prayers for him. The black Innova, in which the gangster and his associates were travelling before the encounter, belonged to Khan’s son Abu Bakr, who is absconding.
Aziz Reddy, a native of Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh, was involved in several cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh. Once a close associate of underworld don Chhota Rajan, he used to run the latter’s drug business in Bangkok and Singapore.