Audio clip from police adds a twist to Bhopal ‘encounter’

It suggests that personnel had orders to kill and the escapees shot at them

All-India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman M.S. Bitta consoles family members of jail warder Ramashankar Yadav, who was killed by SIMI men while escaping .

A nine-minute audio clip believed to be from the police control room in Bhopal recorded on the day when the eight undertrial prisoners were gunned down in a police encounter, hours after their escape from the Bhopal Central prison, has raised questions about the entire episode.

The audio clip which has surfaced now suggests that the policemen had orders to kill the eight undertrials and there was no intention to arrest the suspects. A part of the clip also suggests that the undertrials fired at the police party, which tried to corner them on a hilltop at Eintkhedi village on the outskirts of Bhopal. A policeman is heard saying, “ bilkul peeche nahin hathna hai, kaam tamam karna hai (you don’t have to retreat, just finish all of them).”

The authenticity of the audio tape has not been verified yet. Earlier, two video clips had surfaced where a policeman was seen shooting a seemingly lifeless body from close range.

A police official further says, “

unhone firing ki hai chodna nahin hai….fire kar rahe hain jawaab diya jaye (they have fired and a befitting reply should be given).”

A policeman is heard warning his colleagues that he should delay his ascent to the hilltop where the bodies are lying as there could be some “cross-firing” from the police party on the other side. One of them suggests that at least one should have been captured alive to unearth the entire conspiracy.

After the encounter, the policemen are heard celebrating the killings. “Very good,

chaaron or se gire hue hain, beech mein pade hue hain, firing band karo (they have fallen and are lying in the middle, stop firing).”