What is the official version of the SIMI activists’ encounter in Bhopal? |
---|
![]() |
The Madhya Pradesh police announced the escape of eight SIMI activists from the Central Jail in Bhopal early Monday morning. A few hours later they made it known that the activists had been killed in a desolate forest area about 15 km from the prison.
Four officials have been suspended by the Madhya Pradesh Government and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will investigate the incident. |
Why were doubts raised over the official version? |
---|
![]() |
Footage emerged soon after the incident and depicted a contrary version. In it, the police are shooting at close range at the men lying on the ground. This video is said to have been shot by the village head of Acharpura.
Choudhary called a press conference in the evening and addressed most of the questions with the response that investigations were on. |
When was SIMI formed? |
---|
![]() |
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was formed in 1977 to renew momentum to the Students Islamic Organization founded in 1956. Anti-western in its stance, it also rejects the fundamental principles of India’s Constitution as anti-Islamic. It envisions a state ruled by its version of Islamic principles and resurrection of the Caliphate, emphasis on the Muslim ummah (community) and jihad as the way to realizing the vision.
The eight escapees were faced with different charges; some are briefly outlined below.
|
Where did some of the more controversial encounters take place? |
---|
![]() |
Consequences
|
Who has decided to legally challenge the official version of the Bhopal encounter? |
---|
![]() |
Pervez Alam, the lawyer of seven of the escapees said he would petition the High Court for a judicial probe or CBI investigation on the grounds that this encounter was in reality a pre-planned “cold-blooded murder”.
It is also undeniable that prison guard Ramashankar Yadav was killed during the event of SIMI operatives’ escape (or attempt to escape). The 58-year old guard was preparing for his daughter's wedding less than six weeks away.
|
How should the law take its own course? |
---|
![]() |
One cannot dismiss the argument that encounters are at least in part, a response to an overwhelmingly slow Indian judicial system. But there have been and continue to be alarming periods when those in charge of law enforcement take law into their own hands, confident of impunity.
If the Bhopal encounter videos are proved authentic, they show the police to have violated the Supreme Court judgment. One of the guidelines directed medical aid to be immediately administered to the injured and this was definitely not followed in the Bhopal encounter situation. As encounter incidents after 2014 have proved, the Bhopal encounter is not an isolated case. The fact that the guidelines are seldom implemented even two years later highlight India’s negligence in addressing such extrajudicial killings. A major loophole the apex court judgment did not address was the filing of FIR against the dead in every encounter killing. This allows police to take advantage of Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) and justify their action as self-defence. Two years and several more deaths in encounters with many of these instances left unpursued necessitate stricter action from the Supreme Court, and a collective effort to stop such deaths. |