Representatives of different organisations on Wednesday urged the Centre to order a probe by Supreme Court judge into the “killing of eight activists of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in Bhopal in the guise of encounter”.
Addressing a press conference here, speakers referred to a video clip in circulation showing an armed policeman aiming and shooting at one of the SIMI activists and said it confirms that it was a ‘fake encounter’. “How come SIMI workers scaled a 32-feet high wall without suffering any scratches. Further, with so many policemen around, couldn’t they have captured the fugitives alive?” general secretary of Soofi Academy Syed Tariq Quadri asked. He described the version of police about the escape of SIMI activists from prison as highly imaginative.
He felt it was not possible for the fugitives to escape the jail without getting their act recorded by the surveillance cameras on the prison premises. Mr. Quadri described the encounter as a continuation of the killing of five prisoners, including Viqaruddin, at Alair in Bhongir in April, 2015.
President of Lambadi Hakkula Porata Samithi (LHPS-Nagara Bheri) Dasram Nayak termed killing of SIMI activists a part of the conspiracy to polarise votes in ensuing elections for Uttar Pradesh Assembly. “By killing Muslims and distancing from them, ruling BJP party wants to draw backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to itself by claiming all of them were Hindus,” he alleged.
Praja Kala Mandali state secretary J. Koti, Maulana Naseeruddin and Students Islamic Organisation of India (Telangana zone) public relations secretary Syed Azharuddin also demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge into the Bhopal encounter.
