SIMI jailbreak: DGP forms SIT to probe encounter

Following the furore among the political circles demanding a probe to verify the authenticity of the encounter in which eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) terrorists were neutralised, the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police on Tuesday announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killings.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Anurag Sharma from the CID branch, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and four inspectors have been included in the team.

The SIT will report to the Police Head Quarters after the findings.

The decision to form the SIT came after the opposition parties demanded an independent high level judicial probe into the matter.

Calling the encounter "dubious" the Communist Party of India (CPI), earlier today, dubbed the SIMI encounter as demanded an explanation from the Madhya Pradesh Government.

The Congress also cornered the state government with former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh questioning the authenticity of the encounter video after eight SIMI terrorists escaped from a high-security prison in Bhopal.

Singh wondered as to what is the reason that only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus while stating that he was against all those playing politics in the name of religion.

In response, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan condemned the opposition parties for indulging in vote bank politics

"I don't know what sort of political mudslinging has begun. Few leaders of our nation cannot see the martyrdom of our soldiers. They cannot see the sacrifice of Ramashankar Yadav. They are the ones who murdered Shiv Prasad Kushwaha. They killed Sitaram Yadav in Khandwa. Some people are doing vote bank politics on this matter which is highly condemnable. One must refrain from doing this," he added.

Chouhan said it is extremely unfortunate that they do not utter a word about the martyrdom of the soldiers.

Bhopal Inspector General of Police Yogesh Choudhary on Monday defended its action to open fire on the terrorists, saying the escapees were neutralized in 'retaliatory' fire, adding that the suspects have been continuously perpetrating serious offences and also killed police constables in 2008 and 2011.

Choudhary said they had a track record of being involved in serious crimes before.

On Monday, Eight terrorists of the banned group SIMI were killed in an encounter after escaping from the Bhopal Central Jail.