Nayeem threat forced ‘Y’ category security to CBI joint director

HYDERABAD: Contrary to the public perception, security to CBI joint director V V Lakshminarayana was upgraded to’ Y’ category earlier this week due to a threat perception to him in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case. Due to non-cooperation from the Andhra Pradesh police in tracking renegade Maoist Nayeemuddin- suspected to be key figure in the case- CBI has taken up the matter itself and entrusted the job of ferreting him out to Lakshminarayana.
In turn, the CBI joint director has detailed a team headed by an inspector rank officer. Lakshminarayana who completed six years in Hyderabad is presently on a two-month extension and CBI sources expect that Nayeemuddin will be located before his term runs out. Nayeemuddin who runs a network of contract killers might try to harm the CBI joint director, it is perceived.
Meanwhile, there is consternation in the CBI headquarters in New Delhi after IPS officer N Balasubramanyam was promoted to the level of IG of police and retained in the key intelligence department. CBI is investigating Balasubramanyam because it suspects that this officer had provided support to the Gujarat police team which came to Hyderabad in November 2005 to abduct Sohrabuddin Sheikh.
The CBI had summoned him to its office in Gandhinagar for questioning and Balasubramanyam was told that he would be questioned again. There is also the likelihood of his being arrested. CBI perceives that the AP police is stalling the pursuit of Nayeemuddin because if nabbed he may reveal things that may put some police officers in the state in jeopardy.
It is widely known in AP circles that Nayeemuddin was used privately by some police officers to source information and other works.CBI sources feel that Balasubramanyam should have been transferred out with his promotion. CBI sources also said that they were ‘on track’ as far as the case was concerned and there was no way that they would retreat from investigating the AP angle. “We know that a strong lobby in AP police would want us to step back,” CBI sources told TOI.
Sources in AP police, however, assert that they have been making efforts to trace Nayeemuddin, but said that he is proving to be a slippery character. “He was a Maoist. Like all Maoists he is well trained to put off search parties,” a senior AP police officer told TOI. Last heard Nayeemuddin was shuttling between Zaheerabad in Medak district that borders Karnataka and Bidar. “He is constantly on the move and without a cellphone,” the sources added.