SIMI activists' encounter in Bhopal: 'Finish them all,' says police in new audio clip

Days after eight SIMI activists were shot dead hours after fleeing from the Bhopal Central Jail, two audio tapes have reportedly surfaced which detail the conversation among the security men. [caption id=“attachment_3088046” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Police personnel standing next to the bodies of the slain activists. PTI[/caption] A CNN-News18 report speculates that the recording suggests that the police personnel on the field were under orders from their superiors to shoot to kill all eight of the SIMI activists. One of the personnel can be heard saying, “Paanch toh mar gye (Five have already died)” to which another responded, “niptado sab (finish all of them)”. While no one has been able to verify the authenticity of the clips, officials can be heard directing others to surround all the activists and kill them. They were asked to take positions in a way that there is no cross-firing. The officials can then be heard intimating their senior that they have killed five of the suspects. The personnel sitting in the control room allegedly encouraged the officers on the field to kill the remaining three as well. The control room can also be heard telling the on-ground personnel that people will remember Bhopal Police for the next ten years to come. “The media does not have the power. It will reach the spot after we bring their bodies,” the Control Room said. The authenticity of the audio clips remain questionable. These audio clips corroborate the video footage which shows that the eight SIMI activists were unarmed and did not open fire on the officials. Police had earlier said that the men were asked to surrender. Bhopal police chief Yogesh Chaudhary added that, “They fired at us and all eight were killed in the crossfire.” A short clip, which started doing the rounds, shows a policeman shooting at a group of men lying still in a deserted strip. The men, wearing jeans and sports shoes, were said to be the escaped SIMI activists. It also shows a policeman pulling out a knife from one of the dead men. Opposition parties have questioned the veracity and authenticity of the encounter. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “It appears to be a fake encounter. Therefore this entire matter should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court judge for the truth to emerge.” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe. On Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that a judicial enquiry will be conducted into the encounter. With inputs from agencies