Two police officers who were suspended by the Telangana government last year for their alleged links with renegade Maoist-turned-gangster Nayeem, resumed their duties at the DGP office in Hyderabad on Friday.
The suspension of the two officers, Maddipati Srinivas Rao and the then Malineni Srinivasa Rao, who held the posts of Additional SP(CID) and ACP Mir Chowk, was lifted despite the Home Department of the state government, extending their suspension by six months in April this year.
According to reports, there was hectic lobbying within the department since April this year, to reinstate the two senior policemen as they were on good terms with other senior officials in the state government.
The departmental inquiry against the accused officers is expected to continue, even if their suspension has been revoked.
In May last year, those put under suspension were Additional Superintendent of Police (CID) Maddipati Srinivas Rao, Assistant Commissioners of Police serving in Hyderabad M. Srinivas Rao and Chintamaneni Srinivas, and Circle Inspectors Ramgopal and Mastan.
Nayeem was gunned down by police in an alleged exchange of fire on August 8, 2016 in Shadnagar town near Hyderabad.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe several cases against Nayeem and also allegations that some politicians and policemen had links with him.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had told the state assembly in December that year, that after the death of Nayeem, police registered 174 cases, arrested 124 accused, and seized firearms and properties worth over Rs 100 crore.
He said the gang's involvement was established in 27 murder cases and it was suspected to be involved in another 25 murder cases.
He had said police had filed two charge-sheets and 15 more charge-sheets were ready to be filed.
As a Maoist, Nayeem had killed an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K.L. Vyas in 1993. After being expelled from the People's War Group (PWG) for indulging in extortion, he turned a police informer to help them effectively counter Left-wing extremism, which was then at its peak.
Nayeem, with alleged help from police, eliminated some top Maoists and their sympathisers in then united Andhra Pradesh.