Bhopal jail escapees killed in encounter
Sources have stated that all the 8 inmates who broke out of Bhopal Central Prison have been killed in an encounter with police in Eintkhedi village near Bhopal. The news of their death comes just hours after Bhopal police put the city on lock-down to nab the suspects. So far there has been no official word on the identities of the convicts.
What is the Students Islamic Movement of India?
SIMI was formed in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in April 1977. Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi, a professor of journalism and PR at the Western Illinois University is its founder; it was originally a student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, until 1981. It is banned under the Unlawful Activities Act 1967 as it advocates the 'liberation of India' by converting it to an Islamic land.
SIMI: Quick facts
SIMI is mainly active in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. SIMI receives funding from the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (Riyadh) and the International Islamic Federation of Students' Organizations (Kuwait), besides the ISI.
SIMI terrorists break out of Bhopal Central Jail
8 Students Islamic Movement of India terrorists broke out of the Bhopal Central Jail on the intervening night between 30-31 October. Sources said the terrorists killed one security guard and tied up the other before making their escape. It is speculated that they chose Diwali night to break out of prison so that the sound of firecrackers would drown out any noises they made.
Who were the inmates?
Six out of the eight escaped SIMI activists are believed to be Sheikh Mujeeb, Muhammad Khalid Akil, Jakir Hussain Sadiq, Mohammad Salik, Mehaboob Malik and Amjad Khan. Several of the 8 were under trial for sedition, while a few were also arrested for robbery.
How did they break out?
Reports indicate that the jail break occurred at approximately 2 AM. According to sources, the terrorists tied up one of the security guards and then slit the throat of Head Constable Rama Shankar. It is believed that the 8 convicts used bed sheets to fashion ropes to climb over the prison's 14 foot walls.
Previous attempts at breaking out
Three of the 8 escaped convicts broke out of jail in Khandwa, close to Bhopal, in 2013. They evaded police for 3 years until they were caught again in 2016.
Bhopal jail escapees killed in encounter
Sources have stated that all the 8 inmates who broke out of Bhopal Central Prison have been killed in an encounter with police in Eintkhedi village near Bhopal. The news of their death comes just hours after Bhopal police put the city on lock-down to nab the suspects. So far there has been no official word on the identities of the convicts.
Video clips question authenticity of Bhopal encounter
Two video clips, purportedly depicting the encounter when police killed the SIMI terrorists who escaped from Bhopal Central Jail have raised questions on the authenticity of the encounter. One clip shows a cop shooting an injured escapee lying on a rocky outcrop, while the second video shows the escapees waving at police in a forest, after which police shoot at the group.
NHRC issues notice to MP govt over Bhopal encounter
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the MP government over the encounter which led to the killing of 8 escapees from Bhopal Central Jail. Media reports carrying videos of cops shooting the unarmed escapees led the NHRC to question the veracity of the encounter. The NHRC said that it had "always been concerned about the deaths in police action."
More prisoners had planned to escape from Bhopal jail
Investigators said that evidence collected so far indicates that all 29 SIMI operatives lodged in Bhopal Central Jail may have planned to escape together. Sources said key imprints on toilet soaps in prison and the recovery of 17 duplicate keys hinted at a possible mass break-out plan. Officials suspect the plan was hatched while inmates were being treated in the hospital wing.
As controversy mounts, MP orders judicial probe into encounter
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial inquiry into the encounter that killed 8 convicts who escaped from Bhopal's central jail. Sources said a sub-jailer and two jail guards are under investigation for possibly aiding the convicts. Meanwhile, audio tapes of police conversations showed senior police officers ordering cops to kill the convicts when they find them.
5 different investigations underway in the SIMI jailbreak case
Due to the rising clamor over how the SIMI encounter has been handled, MP government has announced five different inquiries into the incident so far. These include probes by former DGP Nandan Dubey on security lapses, National Investigating Agency's probe. Later, DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla announced a CID probe and a subsequent SIT probe. Finally, the CM ordered judicial probe under judge SK Pandey.
Ex-prisoner says Bhopal cells had to be unlocked from outside
Mohammed Khalil, a former inmate of Bhopal Central Jail said the jail was designed to prevent inmates, even in possession of a key, from unlocking the cells from inside. Khalil said the "gates are installed in such a fashion that the lock and the holder are 2.5 feet away." His story contradicts official claims that the inmates unlocked their cells from within.
Court slams state-government for delay in informing about SIMI encounter
A Bhopal Court slammed the state government for a nine-day delay in formally appraising the judiciary about the SIMI-encounter. The court questioned the authenticity of the police's version of events, terming the incident a "serious matter"; the court also lambasted the police's statements to the media. The court also observed that if the government initiated a probe, then it was unsure of the incident.
Bhopal encounter: MP govt to announce cash reward for villagers
The Madhya Pradesh government would announce a cash reward for the villagers who reportedly helped police track down the SIMI men who escaped from Bhopal Central Jail. The officials said the villagers had called the police control room to alert them of the presence of the convicts. The government announced that there would be a collective reward of Rs.40 lakh.
