Telangana government seems to be red-faced with number of photos in the media gone viral, showing some of its police officials were casually moving with slain gangster Mohammed Nayeemuddin, alias Nayeem. He was killed in an encounter with police last year.

These photos surfaced weeks after the government filed a petition before the Hyderabad High Court claiming it had no evidence of links between the state’s politicians and police officials and slain gangster. Incidentally, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials, who are probing into Nayeem’s criminal activities, are tight lipped with regard to this petition. They are neither refuting, nor confirming such links.

Interestingly, the government submitted the petition just two days after a discussion was held in the state Assembly on Nayeem’s alleged links with politicians and police officials. Strongly refuting opposition demand for a CBI probe to expose all such links, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asserted that the present SIT will brings out truth. He even mentioned that “whoever had links with this gangster cannot escape…..even links with the DGP-level officer also will come out”.

Present photos clearly shows that how he has been closely associated with few DSP-level officials. One of the pictures shows CID additional superintendent of police Maddipati Srinivas Rao, who earlier worked in Nalgonda, dining with Nayeem. Another features Malakpet traffic inspector K. Venkat Reddy talking to the gangster. Other photo shows Nayeem with then Bhongir Inspector Thirupatanna at a Ganesh pandal and in another photo shows then SP of Counter Intelligence Cell Chandrasekhar dining with Nayeem.

SIT officials admitted that they had collected the photos during their investigation. “Nothing new in the pictures. We have already done a thorough probe. However, we will look into these issues,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said that no action could be taken against police officials who clicked pictures with slained gangster Nayeemuddin. He said that pictures does not prove the nexus between police officials and the gangster. But, he said that the SIT was investigating into the Nayeem’s case and anyone found guilty of having criminal nexus with the gangster would be punished.