Despite Chouhan’s announcement, MP govt yet to ask for NIA probe
CM CHOUHAN HAD ANNOUNCED AN NIA PROBE ON THE FIRST DAY. HE SAID RAJNATH SINGH HAD ALSO AGREED TO THE REQUEST
BHOPAL: Two days have passed since a controversial jailbreak and alleged encounter of eight Islamist radicals in Bhopal but the Madhya Pradesh government is yet to ask for a National Investigation Agency probe, a senior state home department official told HT,
A senior police official confirmed that the state police were yet to send their request, despite growing calls for investigation into the alleged encounter and contradictory statements by the state administration.
The official also indicated that there was no clarity over what the NIA would probe. “There is no consensus of what should be the exact brief. Also, there are fears once the case is handed over to NIA, they will be at the liberty to expand the scope of investigation,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The eight suspects were members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and escaped jail early on Monday, only to be gunned down by police hours later. Activists and opposition party leaders have called the encounter staged.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced an NIA probe on the first day itself. He even said that Union home minister Rajnath Singh had agreed to the state government’s request.
On Tuesday, CM’s confidant and state home minister Bhupendra Singh reiterated this position in an interview to HT. Singh also said the probe will be limited to jailbreak, as the encounter was “unquestionable”.
This is when the flip-flop began. By Tuesday evening, Rishi Kumar Shukla, the state police chief, announced the setting up a Special investigation team of officers drawn from the criminal investigation department (CID) to probe the encounter.
But nothing stops the NIA from taking over the probe because it has done so in past cases of terror-related incidents.
In 2014, the NIA took over the Burdwan bomb blast case, bypassing the West Bengal government. Similarly, the Sunil Joshi murder case linked to alleged saffron terror was taken over by NIA despite resistance from the Maharashtra police.
On Monday, ATS chief Sanjeev Shami told the media that the SIMI members did not possess any weapons, a stand he reiterated on Wednesday. This contradicts Bhopal inspector general Yogesh Choudhary, who said police engaged in retaliatory firing and three policemen even sustained injuries.
State home minister Singh is backing Choudhary’s version. Based on police seizure memos, HT on Wednesday reported that spent bullet casings weren’t among itemsrecoveredfromtheencounter site. This is a key piece of evidence to prove the police account that the prisoners fired at the policemen.