Simi men unarmed, says Madhya Pradesh’s ATS chief

Eight undertrials killed in an alleged gunfight on Monday were not armed, Madhya Pradesh’s anti-terror squad (ATS) chief Sanjeev Shami told reporters on Wednesday, contradicting the state’s narrative that they were shot when they fired upon the police.

“It is well settled in law when police can use force and kill. The eight were dreaded criminals. The police can use maximum force if it feels such men can escape,” Mr Shami said.

This might bolster allegations that the suspected members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi) were killed in cold blood. The police said on Monday that it tracked down and shot dead the eight, hours after they allegedly escaped from Bhopal’s high-security prison.

The police earlier had claimed that it found four country-made revolvers and sharp weapons on those killed. Mr Shami said he stands by his account. His statement came as calls from the families of those dead, Opposition parties and human rights bodies for an independent probe continued to mount, given India’s dodgy record of extra-judicial killings. The government has said the national investigative agency will probe only the jailbreak and not the “encounter”.

News channels quoted post-mortem reports to claim the eight were shot in the head, chest, feet and in the back. Each man was shot at least twice, the reports said, adding there were multiple entry and exit wounds, mostly above the waist.

MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his home and prison ministers have defended “the killing of the terrorists”, while at least four Central ministers have backed the CM, asking people to respect national security”, underlining the government’s increasing discomfort with public scrutiny of counter-terrorism operations.

The eight were awaiting trial in cases of alleged “terror-related activities, besides sedition and robbery”. Banned in 2001, the outfit is accused of carrying out bombings and of having links with terror groups.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer KTS Tulsi called the encounter fake, a day after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sought en explanation from the state government, taking into account a string of unanswered questions, some video clips and conflicting official versions.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said that she disagreed with the so-called “encounter” theory. “This is all happening in the name of political vendetta,” she said in a tweet. BJP quickly said she was part of a bandwagon “sympathising with terrorists and questioning security forces”.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, his party colleague Kamal Nath, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, BSP supremo Mayawati, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and CPI (M) Pleader Prakash Karat have sought a probe. The families of the eight men have decided to move court for a CBI probe as an all-out political slugfest over the controversial shooting escalated further.

Bhopal’s inspector general (IG) of police Yogesh Choudhury had said the eight opened fire when told to surrender. No official explained why the eight stuck together, and did not disperse to avoid detection.

Video clips, purportedly of the alleged encounter, show a jawan opening fire on one of the men, as he lay motionless on the ground. Voices heard in the background say, “Kill them”. The clips have been sent for forensic tests.