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{{Short description|Killing of eight prisoners by police}}
{{multiple issues|{{tone|date=November 2016}}
{{update|date=November 2016}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}

On 31 October 2016, eight alleged members of the [[Students' Islamic Movement of India|Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)]] were shot and killed in an [[Encounter killings by police|encounter]] with the [[Anti-Terrorism Squad]] on the outskirts of [[Bhopal, India|Bhopal]], India.<ref name="indianexpress">{{Cite news |last=Ghatwai |first=Milind |date=2016-11-01 |title=SIMI activists' jailbreak: Video shows cop shooting at inmate on ground; in another, a talk of talks |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/bhopal-simi-activist-dead-video-jailbreak-undertrials-3731611/ |access-date=2016-11-03 |newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-10-31 |title=Eight SIMI activists killed in encounter after jailbreak |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Eight-SIMI-activists-killed-in-encounter-after-jailbreak/article15879218.ece |access-date=2025-12-06 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Those individuals were on trial for terrorist activities connected to [[Al-Qaeda]], including alleged plans to free [[Aafia Siddiqui]], a detainee linked to the [[September 11 attacks]], from FBI custody in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Naveen |first=P |date=2016-11-01 |title=8 SIMI men gunned down hours after Bhopal jailbreak |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/8-simi-men-gunned-down-hours-after-bhopal-jailbreak/articleshow/55170435.cms |access-date=2025-11-24 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

According to police, the prisoners escaped from the high-security Bhopal Central Jail after killing a head constable and scaling a 32-foot wall and fled—only to be killed hours later when they reportedly opened fire during their attempted recapture.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-31 |title=8 SIMI activists killed in encounter, identified |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/8-simi-activists-bhopal-jail-killed-in-encounter-identified-3730573/ |access-date=2025-11-30 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Aafia Siddiqui's account ==
According to the [[Madhya Pradesh]] police, the accused escaped from the prison using bed sheets and wooden logs after allegedly killing a jail security guard with improvised weapons made from spoons and plates.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-10-31 |title=SIMI activists' encounter: what we know so far |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/simi-activists-encounter-what-we-know-so-far/article9288492.ece |access-date=2016-11-03 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Allegations of a staged encounter ==
Multiple audio and video recordings suggest that the encounter killings were possibly staged.<ref name=indianexpress/> Leaked police control room audio clips indicate that there were orders from higher authorities to eliminate all the prisoners. According to the recordings, officers were enraged by the death of a colleague during the jailbreak and frustrated by the prisoners’ repeated escape attempts. A low-quality video leak appears to show an officer shooting a wounded escapee lying on the ground with other fugitives. Senior officials later praised the guards involved in the encounter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.catchnews.com/india-news/finish-everyone-orders-to-kill-8-simi-linked-undertrials-came-from-the-top-show-audio-clips-1478158116.html/fullview|title=SIMI encounter: MP cops call it 'farzee' in these audio clips|newspaper=CatchNews.com|access-date=2016-11-03}}</ref>

== Responses ==
The families of the deceased prisoners accused the police of staging the encounter,<ref name="thehindu2016">{{Cite news |last=Sunny |first=Shiv |date=2016-11-03 |title=It's no encounter, say SIMI man's kin |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/simi-activists-encounter-its-no-encounter-say-simi-mans-kin/article9296715.ece |access-date=2016-11-03 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> and Zuleika Bee claimed that her brother had previously been threatened with being killed in a fake encounter by jail authorities.<ref name=thehindu2016/> Among others, Pervez Alma, the lawyer representing the seven killed prisoners, said, "It is a fake encounter, a cold-blooded murder. It was a pre-planned act, and I believe they did not escape from the jail but were made to flee by the police."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bora|first=Brice|date=2 November 2016|title=Bhopal jailbreak: Questions raised over police killings|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/bhopa-jailbreak-questions-raised-police-killings-161101131906316.html|access-date=2016-11-03|website=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Additionally, the [[Shiv Sena]]-affiliated publication ''Saamana'' argued that the killings of the SIMI terrorist organization's members were justified, even if they were the result of a staged encounter.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Saamana justifies killing of SIMI activists 'even if it was staged' |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Saamna-justifies-killing-of-SIMI-activists-even-if-it-was-staged/articleshow/55214091.cms |access-date=2016-11-03 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:2016 in India]]
[[Category:October 2016 in India]]
[[Category:Indian Mujahideen]]
[[Category:Crime in Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:2010s in Madhya Pradesh]]

October 2016 Bhopal encounter - Revision history

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