Questions that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is evading on the killing of SIMI operatives

Opposition parties like Aam Aadmi Party and AIMIM have called for a Supreme Court-appointed probe into the encounter.

By: News Desk |
October 31, 2016 9:43 pm

While the Madhya Pradesh government continues to hail its police force of killing all the eight SIMI ‘terrorists’ amid criticism from the opposition, the manner in which the operation took place leaves a lot to answer.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has joined the opposition in questioning the authenticity of the encounter, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation. Taking into account the unverified video released by India Today TV, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

How come all the eight operatives died at the same spot? During the time of the attack, it is natural for a human being to run to save his life and hide in a safe place. Were they too inseparable at the time of death?
Yogesh Choudhary, IG, Bhopal, told reporters that the eight fugitives were armed and they began firing on the policemen when intercepted. Also, when they were armed with pistols and knives, why wasn’t a single cop injured?
The India Today TV’s video shows policemen taking positions during the ‘encounter’ at ease, which normally you don’t do when under attack from the other side. Were the SIMI men eliminated through a pick-and-choose method?
An important thing to note is that three sharp weapons and four fire-arms were recovered from the dead operatives. Are these the deadly weapon that MP Police claim to have aided the SIMI operatives?
Now let’s go back to how the things started. Is Bhopal Central Jail so unsafe that even a bunch of inmates could gang up and carry out an escape by killing a head constable?
Let’s say some of the jail officials might be on a holiday due to Diwali. But why only two jail security guards for eight ‘deadly’ members of a banned outfit like SIMI?
Prisoners are supposed to don a uniform provided to them by authorities for identification. How did the dead operatives were wearing casuals at the time of encounter? Also, why did it take eight hours for them to sneak out of Bhopal?
Lastly, the police said the villagers noticed the eight men washing their faces from the nearby river and reported to them. Were the policemen too quick to paste posters about runaway criminals in Malikheda area within hours of the escape?

It is better that the Madhya Pradesh police which is patting itself on its back after the encounter, answer it and come clean.

Several political parties including the AIMIM have questioned the veracity of the encounter, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the deaths of SIMI operatives.

AIMIM President Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi speaks on 8 #SIMI terrorists who escaped #Bhopal Jail killed in encounter @asadowaisi pic.twitter.com/I86vpEXuDI

— Syed Abdahu Kashaf (@syedKashaf95) October 31, 2016

Congress worker Gaurav Pandhi posted a series of tweets asking a few pertinent questions

Here is a short clip of #BhopalEncounter site where SIMI operatives were gunned down and some observations now at the end of the day. (1/12) pic.twitter.com/W9tyl9d1so

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

The BJP Govt is wrongly calling them terrorists. They were terror suspects, under trial, like Purohit, Pragya Thakur, Aseemanad. (2/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

How come 8 terror suspects got together to plan the jailbreak from MP’s most high security prison? Were they all in a single cell? (3/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

The 8 suspects got together in jail, escaped together, ran together & didn’t split even after hours and were thus, shot down together (4/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

After escaping from prison, they then had time to change clothes? Wear jeans, T-shirts and sports shoes? Oh well! Who helped them? (5/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

MP Home Minister said that the suspects didn’t have any weapons & they used ‘utensils’ as weapons and it was imp to kill them. Really?(6/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

The IG however said that suspects were carrying weapons. Fair enough, so where are those weapons? Not displayed as always it is done? (7/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

Did the suspects had weapons at the time of jailbreak and if not, where did they get the weapons from? Who help them obtaining/ when? (8/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

In the video (1st tweet), a cop pulls out a sharp & broad knife from under the “front of jeans” of a suspect – like in the movies. (9/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

Who the hell keeps such a large knife in the front and runs & hide – even move a bit – without getting injured? Seriously! (10/ 12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

Then a cop is seen shooting a suspect (dead or alive) from point blank range. Is this an encounter or cold blooded murder. (11/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016

What is not seen in video is any trace of weapons.

Or is it that cops recovered all of it and then shot again as is seen in video? (12/12)

— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 31, 2016