SIT teams probing Nayeem's links in Vizag

The plea was not immediately granted, sources said. An official of the Visakhapatnam railway division confirmed.

VISAKHAPATNAM: THE Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is investigating the deeds of slain gangster Nayeemuddin alias Nayeem is trying to trace his links with underworld elements and extremist sympathisers in Visakhapatnam. A team of SIT detectives landed in Vizag for this purpose on Sunday.

While gathering information on Nayeem's deals in and Maharashtra, SIT detectives apparently found that he used to frequently visit Visakhapatnam by train, mostly by Godavari Express. So sleuths of the SIT, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) are learnt to have asked East Coast Railway authorities to give them access to CCTV footage from the railway station in Vizag.

However, the plea was not immediately granted, sources said. An official of the Visakhapatnam railway division confirmed to New Indian Express that detectives are trying to negotiate access to the CCTV footage. "The IB, SIT and ATS have urged us to provide them the CCTV footage. During our interaction, SIT officials said Nayeem had contacts with extremists. They also had some data about Nayeem arriving at the Vizag railway station and asked us to provide the relevant CCTV footage. We usually keep all documents and records for three years. As per my knowledge, the CCTV footage is available at the Vizag station."

However, divisional railway authorities declined to comment officially on the issue. "It's confidential. Till now, nobody has asked us for CCTV footage officially," said a senior official of the Railway Protection Force. The Vizag police are tight-lipped on the development. "As per norms, they (SIT officials) have to inform the local police if they want to arrest somebody or seize some property. We have not got any communication from SIT or the Telangana police so far," a senior officer of the Special Branch said.

Sources said the SIT officials have information about Nayeem's involvement in three land disputes in the city. These inputs were given to them by Nayeem's followers who were arrested in Hyderabad. Over the last three years, IB had been alerting the AP Police about the large number of Bangladeshi nationals residing in the city. With the information that Nayeem's links with the extremists, the city police are on the alert to probe IB alerts.

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