October 2016 Bhopal encounter explained

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]

Police account

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]

Staged encounter

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]

Responses

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]

Notes and References

  1. News: SIMI activists' jailbreak: Video shows cop shooting at inmate on ground; in another, a talk of talks. 2016-11-01. The Indian Express. 2016-11-03.
  2. News: 8 SIMI men flee jail, killed in 'encounter' near Bhopal. Sunny. Shiv. 2016-10-31. Singh. Vijaita. The Hindu. en-IN. 0971-751X. 2016-11-03.
  3. Web site: Bhopal jailbreak: Questions raised over police killings . 2016-11-03 . Al Jazeera.
  4. News: SIMI activists' encounter: what we know so far. Desk. Internet. 2016-10-31. The Hindu. en-IN. 0971-751X. 2016-11-03.
  5. News: SIMI activists' jailbreak: Video shows cop shooting at inmate on ground; in another, a talk of talks. 2016-11-01. The Indian Express. 2016-11-03.
  6. News: SIMI encounter: MP cops call it 'farzee' in these audio clips. CatchNews.com. 2016-11-03.
  7. News: It's no encounter, say SIMI man's kin. Sunny. Shiv. 2016-11-03. The Hindu. en-IN. 0971-751X. 2016-11-03.
  8. News: It's no encounter, say SIMI man's kin. Sunny. Shiv. 2016-11-03. The Hindu. en-IN. 0971-751X. 2016-11-03.
  9. Web site: Bora . Brice . 2 November 2016 . Bhopal jailbreak: Questions raised over police killings . 2016-11-03 . Al Jazeera.
  10. News: Saamna justifies killing of SIMI activists 'even if it was staged' - Times of India. The Times of India. 2016-11-03.