October 2016 Bhopal encounter
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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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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]
References
[edit]- ^ "SIMI activists' jailbreak: Video shows cop shooting at inmate on ground; in another, a talk of talks". The Indian Express. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Sunny, Shiv; Singh, Vijaita (31 October 2016). "8 SIMI men flee jail, killed in 'encounter' near Bhopal". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "Bhopal jailbreak: Questions raised over police killings". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Desk, Internet (31 October 2016). "SIMI activists' encounter: what we know so far". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "SIMI activists' jailbreak: Video shows cop shooting at inmate on ground; in another, a talk of talks". The Indian Express. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "SIMI encounter: MP cops call it 'farzee' in these audio clips". CatchNews.com. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Sunny, Shiv (3 November 2016). "It's no encounter, say SIMI man's kin". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Sunny, Shiv (3 November 2016). "It's no encounter, say SIMI man's kin". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Bora, Brice (2 November 2016). "Bhopal jailbreak: Questions raised over police killings". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "Saamna justifies killing of SIMI activists 'even if it was staged' - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 November 2016.