Hyderabad: Underworld gangster Azeez Reddy was shot dead in an encounter with the police in the Jubilee Hills area here, police said on Thursday.

The police, acting on a tip-off that Azeez alias Venkat Reddy was moving alongwith some of his gang members, a police team conducted searches in the area late last night following which the operation took place, they said.

“We had information that Reddy was moving in a black Innova car in connection with a land deal. While checking the car, Azeez opened fire on the police and in a retaliatory fire he was killed,” police said.

Reddy had links with the Chhota Rajan gang and was allegedly involved in several criminal cases in Mumbai.

An inquest was conducted by the Tahsildar of Sheikpet this morning, police said adding that Reddy’s body will be shifted to a hospital mortuary. Azeez Reddy is a native of Nalgonda district in Andhra Pradesh.