**Bhubaneswar:** Of the eight terrorists of banned SIMI group who broke out of Bhopal Central Jail after killing head constable, four of them had been arrested from Rourkela last February in sedition case. Following the incident, Odisha Police has sounded a high alert in the State.
Odisha DGP K. B. Singh told media that Odisha Police is in constant touch with its Madhya Pradesh counterpart. Red alert has been sounded at all strategic places, including airport and railway stations and a strict vigil is on all possible hideouts. Photographs have been circulated to all police stations and beat houses. All district SPs have been asked to keep a hawk eye.
Meanwhile, 5 jail officials, including Jail Superintendent have been suspended by the Madhya Pradesh Home Minister.
Rs 5 lakh reward has been announced by the Madhya Pradesh government for giving information about the escaped terrorists.
The four terrorists have been identified as Zakir Hussain, Shaik Mehboob, Amzad Khan and Mohammad Saliq. They were arrested on February 17 in a joint operation conducted by Odisha and Telengana Police headed by R. K. Sharma, IG, Western Range.
Eight terrorists of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) broke out of Bhopal Central Jail after killing head constable, Rama Shankar Yadav, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhoopendra Singh told media on Monday.
DIG Bhopal Raman Singh said, “Eight SIMI activists escaped around 2-3 am on Sunday night by killing a jail security guard. The SIMI activists killed the 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.”
Four of the eight SIMI terrorists, who fled from Bhopal Central Jail, had been arrested from Rourkela in sedition case.
Mother of Shaik Mehboob and aide Navin Sahoo were also arrested and are currently locked in Rourkela jail.
Odisha Crime Branch had filed the chargesheet against the four SIMI terrorist on 13 August, 2016.
The four SIMI terrorists were in the most wanted list of National Investigation Agency (NIA).
