Witness in Sohrabuddin case killed in Telangana encounter

The CBI, which took over the Sohrabuddin killing case on the directions of the Supreme Court, trashed the Gujarat police claim, saying their investigation showed that the third person on board the bus was not Kalimuddin but Tulsiram Prajapati who was also killed in December 2006, allegedly by police.Nayeemuddin was shot dead Monday when an anti-Naxal team that included Greyhounds raided his house in Millennium Colony in Shadnagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad. DGP Anurag Sharma said a member of Nayeemuddin’s gang opened fire on police late Sunday night after they encircled the house. This led to police action.

Nayeemuddin was shot dead Monday when an anti-Naxal team that included Greyhounds raided his house in Millennium Colony in Shadnagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad. DGP Anurag Sharma said a member of Nayeemuddin’s gang opened fire on police late Sunday night after they encircled the house. This led to police action.

A member of the People’s War Group who was later expelled, Nayeemuddin was allegedly involved in over 20 murder cases. He was also an accused in the 1993 murder of IPS officer N S Vyas, then in-charge of anti-Naxal operations.

Two MLAs of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti had complained to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao about Nayeemuddin’s alleged involvement in extortion and land deals in Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda district.

Mahbubnagar S P Rema Rajeshwari said: “Today, in the morning, there was an exchange of fire between police and a suspected armed group indulging in extortions, kidnappings, land grabbing etc near Millennium Colony, Shadnagar. In the exchange of fire, one person died. Arms and ammunitions have been seized. The deceased has been identified as Mohammed Nayeemuddin.”Nayeemuddin figured in the Gujarat CID probe into the Sohrabuddin case. Geetha Johri, who as IGP was leading the probe, had claimed he was a police informer and that he was witness to the abduction of Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi.

Nayeemuddin figured in the Gujarat CID probe into the Sohrabuddin case. Geetha Johri, who as IGP was leading the probe, had claimed he was a police informer and that he was witness to the abduction of Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi.While handing over the probe to the CBI in January 2010, the Supreme Court made this observation about the Gujarat CID investigation: “It also appears from the chargesheet that it identifies the third person who was taken to Disha farm as Kalimuddin. But it does not contain the details of what happened to him once he was abducted. The possibility of the third person being Tulsiram Prajapati cannot be ruled out, although the police authorities or the State had made all possible efforts to show that it was not Tulsiram. In our view, the facts surrounding his death evokes strong suspicion that a deliberate attempt was made to destroy a human witness.”

While handing over the probe to the CBI in January 2010, the Supreme Court made this observation about the Gujarat CID investigation: “It also appears from the chargesheet that it identifies the third person who was taken to Disha farm as Kalimuddin. But it does not contain the details of what happened to him once he was abducted. The possibility of the third person being Tulsiram Prajapati cannot be ruled out, although the police authorities or the State had made all possible efforts to show that it was not Tulsiram. In our view, the facts surrounding his death evokes strong suspicion that a deliberate attempt was made to destroy a human witness.”

Sohrabuddin’s youngest brother Nayamuddin had told CBI that he had seen Sohrabuddin, Kauser Bi and Tulsiram Prajapati board the bus to Sangli, but not Kalimuddin. The CBI traced Kalimuddin to Aryanagar, Zaheerabad in Medak district on the Karnataka border. He was said to have told CBI that he ran a tea stall and had never known any Sohrabuddin.

Defending herself and citing the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the Sohrabuddin case, Johri, in a curative petition, had said: “It appears that Kalimuddin was in People’s War Group and then turned police informer and was being protected by the Andhra Pradesh police as a valuable informer for them as also for the central intelligence.”

“Nayeemuddin of Hyderabad is one of the accused absconding n the Haren Pandya murder case and if the Gujarat police had known that Kalimuddin and Nayeemuddin were one and the same, Gujarat police would have arrested Kalimuddin alias Nayeemuddin,” her petition stated.

Johri also said that the CBI chargesheet contained a statement by Kalimuddin’s sister Saleema Begum saying Kalimuddin had hosted Sohrabuddin and his wife in Hyderabad and was also known as Nayeemuddin. In the CBI chargesheet too, Kalimuddin figured as a witness.All accused in the case, including 37 police officers, are currently out on bail. Johri was discharged from the case. When she was contacted Monday, Johri refused to comment on the killing of Nayeemuddin.

All accused in the case, including 37 police officers, are currently out on bail. Johri was discharged from the case. When she was contacted Monday, Johri refused to comment on the killing of Nayeemuddin.