On 31 October 2016, eight undertrial prisoners of Bhopal Central Jail were killed in an encounter.[1] They had allegedly escaped from the high security prison during the night.[2] The prisoners were suspected terrorists of the Students' Islamic Movement of India.[3]
According to the Madhya Pradesh police, the undertrials had escaped from the prison using bed sheets and wooden logs, after allegedly killing a jail security guard using spoons and plates.[4]
Various audio and video recordings suggest that the encounter killings may have been staged.[5] Leaked police control room audio clips indicate that there were orders from higher-ups to kill all the prisoners. According to the recordings, police officers were angry over the killing of a fellow officer during the prison break and were concerned about repeated escapes by the prisoners. A leaked, low-quality video appears to show an officer shooting an injured escapee lying with fellow escapees. Senior officials praised the guards involved in the encounter.[6]
The kin of the killed prisoners have come out accusing the police of staging the encounter.[7] Zuleika Bee claimed that her brother was already threatened to be killed in a fake encounter by the jail authorities.[8]
Pervez Alma, the lawyer of seven killed prisoners, said: "It is a fake encounter, a cold-blooded murder. It was pre-planned murder and I believe they did not escape the jail, but they were made to flee by the police".[9]
The Shiv Sana mouth piece 'Samna' argued that the killings were justified even if it was a 'staged encounter'.[10]