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‘Gangster’ Azeez Reddy shot dead

HYDERABAD: Alleged underworld gang leader and extortionist, Azeez Reddy, was shot dead by the city police late on Wednesday night at Jubilee Hills here.

On a tip off that the gangster along with two of his associates, wielding firearms, was moving in Jubilee Hills locality the Commissioner’s Task Force rushed there around 9.30 p.m.

With the assistance of the local police several teams were formed and fanned on to the roads looking out for Reddy and his gang members.

“We had information that Reddy was moving in a black Innova and was planning to extort money from city businessmen,” police officials told The Hindu.

The searches continued for two hours, when a Task Force party spotted the black Innova vehicle near Road No. 51 of Jubilee Hills leading from Ambedkar Open University to B.N. Reddy Nagar.

The police saw three men alighting from the Innova and standing on the road. “They appeared to be discussing something and the policemen identified one of the three members as Azeez Reddy,” the city police said.

Meanwhile, the policemen advanced towards the three-member gang. On seeing the approaching policemen, Reddy and his associates tried to run away from the spot.

The police party asked them to stop. But Azeez Reddy allegedly whipped out his 9 mm pistol and started firing at the police party.

“We returned the fire even as two of Reddy’s associates fled the spot in the darkness,” the police said.

By the time the police rushed there, Azeez Reddy was found lying dead with bullet wounds.

He was allegedly involved in several extortions, murders and kidnaps.

Police said the gangster even had links with underworld mafia don Dawood Ibrahim operating from aboard.

Three years ago he was arrested by the Task Force officials of the city and imported firearms were seized from him.

However, Azeez Reddy was acquitted of the charges, as all the witnesses turned hostile.

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