Bhopal encounter: Police had orders to kill, reveals new audio clip

The SIMI undertrials had shot at the police, the audio clip revealed.

simi operatives funeral — People in large numbers participate in the funeral procession of Mujeeb Shaikh one of the eight SIMI undertrial activists who were killed in an alleged encounter by Madhya Pradesh Police near Bhopal earlier this week, in Ahmedabad on Nov 2, 2016IANS

A new audio clip of the SIMI encounter in Bhopal has raised more questions about the operation. In the nine-minute audio, allegedly recorded on the day of the encounter in the police control room, police officers can be heard saying "gher ke kardo poora kaam tamam" (surround them and finish the job).

The audio clip comes days after video clips were also released regarding the same and Opposition politicians questioned the need to kill the undertrials. This has spiralled into a controversy with Opposition members questioning the BJP, which responded that raising questions about everything is not good.

According to the audio clip, the police officers had orders to kill the SIMI operatives and had no intention of making arrests.

One person was heard saying that firing by policemen has begun and others should take positions. They were also given the instruction to communicate through the phone and not wireless sets for better communication.

The SIMI operative fired at the police, which had cornered the group at Eihtkhedi village on the outskirts of Bhopal.

A policeman is heard saying, "bilkul peeche nahin hathna hai, kaam tamam karna hai (you must not retreat, just finish all of them)."

Another 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 then warns his colleagues against climbing the hilltop, where the bodies were, immediately as there could be cross-firing from the other party.

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)."

The police officers can be heard congratulating each other multiple times after a few of the undertrials were shot dead. In the clip, one person says that someone must have been kept alive as well.

"We will include everything in our investigation," SP (CID) Anurag Sharma, who is heading the investigation into the operation, told The Indian Express.