The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued notices to authorities in Madhya Pradesh over the killing of eight prisoners who had escaped from Bhopal Central Jail on Monday.
The prisoners, who were suspected to be members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), were killed in an encounter with the police near Bhopal under suspicious circumstances.
Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, the NHRC issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, the Director-General of Police and the Director-General and Inspector-General of Prisons asking for detailed reports within six weeks.
The NHRC said in a statement that it had always been concerned about custodial deaths and deaths in police action, and had issued specific guidelines to all States and Union Territories on mandatory reporting of such instances.
According to media reports, the NHRC said, the prisoners had escaped after killing a guard. This was the second prison break for three of the alleged SIMI men, who had escaped from Khandwa Jail three years ago.
They were caught again this year in Odisha. The prisoners had been charged with murder, sedition, jail break and robbing a bank.
The prisoners had escaped between late Sunday night and early Monday morning, and were killed in an encounter with police at about 11 a.m. the same day. Police officers had claimed that their team only fired at the prisoners after being shot at.
As a result of the incidents, five officials of the jail were suspended and one transferred.
