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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

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]

References