Three months’ deadline
BHOPAL: The state government, on Monday, issued a notification appointing a single-member judicial probe commission to probe the incident of eight SIMI under-trials escaping from the central jail in Bhopal and the subsequent police encounter in which they were killed.
The terms of the reference of the commission were also announced, although, the notification does not mention anything about SIMI under-trials.
As per the terms of reference, the commission, headed by former high court judge SK Pandey will inquire as to whether the police action was correct. It will also investigate as to the circumstances and developments that led to police encounter.
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Other terms of reference include the incidents leading to the inmates escaping from the jail and the officers and employees responsible for the lapse. Suggestions have been sought to check such incidents in the future. The commission has been given the freedom to incorporate any new terms of reference which it feels are relevant to the probe.
The murder of jail head constable Ramashankar Yadav is not mentioned in the terms of reference. The government has constituted probe commission for three months and its headquarters will be Bhopal.
Security beefed up in six jails housing naxals
After the SIMI jailbreak incident, the state government has beefed up security in six central jails of the state, where 14 naxals are incarcerated. The security of under-trials and convicts under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) has also been enhanced. Of the 14 naxals, two are in Bhopal, four in Jabalpur, one in Sagar, two in Rewa, three in Balaghat and two in Seoni. The security in these jails has been enhanced in general and particularly around barracks housing the naxals. A strict eye is being kept on the activities of these inmates and details of the visitors coming to meet them are also being maintained. There are 21 SIMI inmates in the Bhopal jail.