How Did SIMI Suspects Get Guns? MP Cops Must Answer Many Queries

The MP police’s press conference failed to answer several questions.

MP Police and locals surrounding the bodies of the SIMI suspects after the alleged encounter. (Photo: IANS)

The Quint has learnt that out of the eight SIMI terror suspects who escaped from Bhopal central jail on Monday, four had earlier fled from Khandwa jail in 2013. According to the sources, four of the suspected SIMI men – Zakir khan, Amjad Khan, Mohammad Salik and Mehboob Khan – were allegedly involved in blasts in Pune in August 2014, in Chennai in May 2014, and in Bengaluru in July 2014. They had also purportedly carried out a bank robbery in Andhra Pradesh’s Karim Nagar.

Apart from terror charges, these four men were also charged with bank robbery, attempt to murder, stoking communal tension and murder.

According to police, the other four SIMI suspects were facing trial for the same charges. The police sources also said that the jail break was planned by Abu Faizal, leader of SIMI, who is also imprisoned in Bhopal central jail. The question arises then: Why didn’t Faizal himself try to escape from jail?

How did these men manage to escape? Who provided them guns? All these points are being investigated. Police cannot disclose much about them right now.

Yogesh Chaudhari, IG, MP Police

Four of the eight escaped SIMI activists. (Photo: The Quint)

Akeel Khilji was accused in four cases of communal violence in Khandwa. After being convicted, he had been in jail for two years since 2013. Majeed Nagori was booked for carrying explosives, and under the Unlawful Prevention of Activities Act in 2013. After the case was filed against him, he fled, but later surrendered in court.

Khalid Ahmed, who worked as an auto rickshaw driver and a scrap dealer, was arrested in 2013. He was arrested with other 5 SIMI men. The MP police claimed to have busted an SIMI sleeper cell.

Mujeeb Sheikh hailed from Ahmedabad and was arrested by MP police in 2011. A chargesheet was filed against him in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts.

The MP police also has a lot to explain about security lapses which allowed the 8 suspects to escape from jail.

Police Failed to Answer Several Questions

MP police personnel and locals at the spot where the SIMI suspects were killed in an alleged police encounter. (Photo: IANS)

Around 7:15 pm on Monday, Madhya Pradesh police held a press conference on the SIMI suspects encounter. The press conference, however, failed to answer several key questions.

• According to the jail manual, not more than 8 dangerous criminals can be kept in the same jail. Then why were 35 terror suspects lodged at the Bhopal Central Jail?
• Why didn't the state government learn a lesson from the earlier jail break at Khandwa jail?
• Why did the escaped prisoners remain close to Bhopal after fleeing from jail?
• During the high alert, why were only two police personnel guarding 35 terror suspects?
• Was the escape facilitated by insiders?
• Police say weapons were recovered from the SIMI suspects after the encounter. Who provided them the weapons?
• No mobile phones were recovered from the suspects. Then how did they communicate with the person who provided them guns?