Audio clip gives a twist to ‘encounter killings’ on outskirts of Bhopal

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

All-India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman M.S. Bitta consoles the family members of jail warder Ramashankar Yadav, who was killed by 8 SIMI undertrial prisoners while escaping .

A nine-minute audio clip, believed to be from the police control room in Bhopal and recorded on the day when eight undertrial prisoners, allegedly belonging to banned Students' Islamic Movement of India, 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 suggests that the policemen had orders to kill the eight undertrials and there was no intention to arrest them. A part of it 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 voice 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, in two video clips a man in police uniform is seen shooting a body from close range.

A voice is heard saying, “ unhone firing ki hai chodna nahin hai….fire kar rahe hain jawaab diya jaye [they have fired and a befitting reply should be given].”

Another voice says 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.

Finally, some voices are heard saying, “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].”