Madhya Pradesh police took a rapid action against those 8 jail-breakers who had fled from Bhopal jail today at early morning. Within 8 hours, police chased and encountered the members of Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
A Counter Terrorist Group CTG), city police and an ATS team led by IPS officer Sanjeev Shami carried out a joint operation immediately after they fled. The activists were encountered 10m away from the prison, on the outskirts of the city.
Police got the information from villagers and they found out the terrorists near Manikheda which is under the Gunga police station.
IG Yogesh Chaudhary who was also part of the operation said that at first, villagers mistook them as robbers and when some of the villagers confronted them they started pelting stones. Then the locals alerted police. When police asked them to surrender “they opened fire, forcing the police to retaliate.”
This continued for nearly an hour and two policemen also killed in the encounter. The terrorists were carrying date and food materials with them. Police also trying to trace those who helped the terrorists to escape.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asserted that five police officials have been suspended and NIA will investigate the whole matter. The CM said that he talked with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Home Minister advised the NIA should carry the investigation. Chouhan averred, “I spoke about how the NIA should carry out the investigation in the matter. The home minister agreed.”
The terrorists were identified as Amjed Khalid, Mujeeb Sheikh, Mohammed Saliq, Abdul Majeed, Zakir Hussain, Mohammed Sadiq, Aqeel Khilji and Sheikh Mehboob. Most of the eight terrorists were charged in terror and other crimes. They had a connection with home-grown terror outfit like the Indian Mujahedeen.
Also Read: Bhopal Jailbreak: Eight Suspected Banned SIMI Operatives Kill Guard And Escape
The eight SIMI operatives killed one security guard and escaped from Bhopal Central Jail around 2-3 am today, using their bedsheets and shawls to scale the prison wall.
Home Minister Bhupendra Singh called the jail break ‘unfortunate’. He said that the CM asked the jail authorities to be more vigilant.
The CM congratulated the forces for their commendable job. “I want to congratulate our forces, but we are looking at this very seriously. Prisoners escaping is a serious matter.” He also praised the locals as they played a crucial role to locate the jail-breakers.
Digvijay Singh called it a ‘conspiracy’
Hours after the terrorists were encountered, Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh suggested that the jail break was a larger ‘conspiracy’.
He told the reporters, “It is a serious issue. First SIMI activists fled the Khandwa Jail. Now they have fled from Bhopal jail. I have been reiterating that RSS activists and other similar organizations are behind the anti-Muslim riots in the country. It should be probed whether there is someone behind this or not.”
