Bijnor: Four of the eight SIMI activists, who were killed in an encounter near Bhopal on Monday after breaking from jail, had learned bomb-making in Bijnor and escaped from here after an accidental explosion.
According to police sources here, an explosion occurred in a house in Jaatan colony here on September 12, 2014. By the time police reached the spot, the six persons living in the house had escaped.
The six persons, who were living in the house, were identified as SIMI activists Aslam, Ejaz, Zakir, Amzad, Sallu alias Salik and Mehboob.
On investigation it was found that the SIMI activists were trying to make bomb with matchstick heads when the explosion occurred. Mehboob was injured in the incident.
While Aslam and Ejaz were killed in an encounter in Telangana on April 3, 2015, Zakir, Amzad, Salik and Mehboob were killed this morning by Madhya Pradesh Police near Bhopal.
Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar Sahni said a case of sedition and under other serious charges is pending against them.
This is the second major jail break by operatives of banned SIMI in three years after the sensational escape by seven members of the group from a jail in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh in 2013.
The Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report from the Madhya Pradesh government on the jail break whether there was any lapse on the part of the jail administration and the steps taken to check such incidents.
The central security agencies were particularly anxious as four of the seven SIMI activities, who escaped from a jail in Khandwa October 1, 2013, could be arrested only after three years and during the period of their hiding, the militants were involved in multiple incidents of terror and a bank robbery.
While in hiding, the SIMI men were allegedly involved in terror activities in several states including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. SIMI was banned by the government in 2001.
PTI