Mamata doubts police 'encounter' with SIMI men

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday rejected the Madhya Pradesh police claim that eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail were killed in a gun battle with the police later.

"We do not agree with the so-called 'encounter' theory. Many unanswered questions arise in the minds of the people," Banerjee tweeted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party in Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday hit out at the Congress and other opposition parties for raising doubts over the killing of eight SIMI activists in a gunfight with the police. The opposition was demoralising security forces, the BJP said.

Madhya Pradesh Police and their Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) gunned down the eight SIMI undertrials after they allegedly broke out of Bhopal Central jail early on Monday morning. However, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and the Left parties raised serious questions pointing to the possibility of a staged gunfight.

Banerjee saw political vendetta behind the deaths of SIMI undertrials.

"This is all happening in the name of political vendetta. Issues like these make me deeply concerned about the unity and national integrity," she said.

--IANS

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