Chota Rajan's aide killed in encounter

Hyderabad, May 1 (UNI) Five bullets were found in the body of Azeez Reddy alias Venkat Reddy, one of the close aides of underworld don Chota Rajan, who was killed in an alleged police encounter in the city late last night.

The body was shifted to Osmania mortuary. So far, no family member has come forward to take possession of the body.

A US-made sophisticated 9mm pistol, credit cards, 3 mobile phones, Rs 3,000 in cash and driving licence were recovered from his possession.

The car, in which he, along with three others, was travelling when the police intercepted it, was also seized.

Police sources said Reddy was going to a film producer's house to collect extortion money.

''The clue given by the film producer to the Task Force alerted the police, resulting in an exchange of fire between the police and gangster. The three others, who managed to flee, were being traced,'' a police official said.

The gangster, who was trained as a sharpshooter in Dubai where he came in contact with the underworld, had been making efforts to spread the tentacles of underworld in Hyderabad for the last five years.

The city police had invoked the Andhra Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act (APCOCA) against Azeez Reddy and his associates in 2004 who were charged with carrying out illegal activities in Hyderabad in collusion with Mumbai underworld mafia.

In 2006, a local court acquitted Reddy and seven others from all charges in the shoot-out case at Filmnagar on June 14, 2004.

They were later taken into custody for allegedly planning extortion at their hideout.

When the police asked them to surrender,they opened fire and tried to escape. The police chased and arrested them.

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