Red alert in Odisha after SIMI terrorists escape from Bhopal Jail

Bhubaneswar: Red alert sounded in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh after eight terrorists of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) fled from the Bhopal Central Jail after killing a guard in the midnight on Sunday.

Sources said four out of the eight terrorists had been arrested from Rourkela in sedition case in February this year. The four identified as Zakir, Mehboob, Amzaad and Mohammad had been sent to jail after that. The four SIMI operatives along with a woman, Najma (Mehboob’s mother),had been arrested from a house in Rourkela on February 17.

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The five were caught following a brief exchange of fire during an operation launched by the tactical unit of Odisha Special Operation Group (SOG) and Telangana Police.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Home Minister suspended jail superintendent and four officers in this connection.

DIG Bhopal Raman Singh said, "Eight SIMI activists escaped around 2-3 AM by killing a jail security guard. The SIMI activists also killed a jail security guard by slitting his throat with steel plate and glass after overpowering him. They later scaled the jail walls with the help of bed sheets."

Further details are awaited, he said, adding that a hunt has been launched to nab them.