MP cops, not NIA, to probe SIMI encounter

BHOPAL: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will not probe the police shooting of eight Islamist prisoners who escaped from a Bhopal jail, Madhya Pradesh home minister Bhupendra Singh said on Tuesday, despite persistent doubts the killings were staged.

Instead, the state government said the ‘encounter’ will be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department, part of its own police force that faces accusations of killing the eight men in cold blood.

“The encounter is unquestionable and it will not be probed by NIA. They will investigate only the jail break and how it happened,” he told HT on Tuesday morning.

But later in the evening, the government appeared to hedge on seeking the NIA’s help on the jailbreak with Singh saying a decision was yet to be made.

The flip-flop will likely add to the controversy over the slain men, who were said to be members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Underlining concerns over the shootings, the National Human Rights Commission asked the government to submit a report on the killings within six weeks. The state human rights panel too sought a report from the government.

The prisoners, awaiting trial in robbery and terrorism cases, allegedly fled the high security jail early on Monday after slitting the throat of a guard. But two videos purportedly of the ‘encounter’ that took place hours after the jailbreak have led human rights activists and opposition parties to doubt the genuineness of the police claims.

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