SIMI encounter: Decision to reward villagers who tipped off' police raises eyebrows

New Delhi: The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday announced cash rewards for several villagers for tipping off the police on the 8 SIMI activists, who were later killed in an encounter, despite the inconsistencies between the calls' records and official version events.

Eight activists of the banned terror outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were killed on the outskirts of Bhopal last month following their escape from the high-security jail after slitting the throat of a security guard and scaling the 32-ft wall using bed sheets in the wee hours of October 31.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the police control room received four calls from villagers at around 11pm, tipping off on the SIMI activists.

Of the four calls, three were made while the encounter was underway. Two of these calls were made back-to-back at 11:09pm.

One of the callers from Khijradev village even told police that he was following the fugitives towards the hills.

This input disputes the official version of events that claim that the encounter took place between 10.45am and 11.45 am.

The inconsistencies in timing has been brushed aside by authorities and villagers as just ‘coincidence’, with officials refusing to comment on why villagers were being rewarded despite calling way long after the encounter began.

Separate probes have been ordered into the jail break and alleged encounter of the 8 men.