Nalgonda encounter: Who sheltered these SIMI operatives?

The encounter at Nalgonda in which two operatives of the Students Islamic Movement of India were killed has raised several questions. Two operatives who were part of the gang of five which escaped from the Khandwa jail in Madhya Pradesh in October 2013 were finally tracked down and killed in an encounter.

At first when these two men were killed none were aware of who they were. They were in fact chased down after they attempted a robbery and also shot a constable and the first bit of news when it trickled in pointed to the fact that they were gangsters.

Now there is a demand for the National Investigation Agency to probe into the matter and the prime demand raised is to find out who has been sheltering them since October 2013.

Country witnessed three blasts after these men escaped

The very fact that these men were on the run since October 2013 after breaking out of jail itself is an embarrassing fact. The very fact that the police of four different states despite coordinating with each other were unable to nab them is also embarrassing.

These men have been blamed for blasts at Chennai, Bijnor and also Church Street, Bengaluru. In addition to this they have carried out two incidents of robbery in Karimnagar and Madhya Pradesh.

These operatives had attempted at reviving the SIMI and were said to be carrying out robberies in a bid to fund themselves. They operated as one unit and it is also said that they had even attempted to free some inmates belonging to the SIMI from a jail in Gujarat.

How did they manage to escape

While there are still no answers from the Madhya Pradesh police on how they managed to slip out of jail, the other mystery is how they kept the police on the run for almost a year and a half.

These men were moving the length and breath of the country with much ease. Once they were found in Bijnor and on the other at a camp in Kerala. However they are said to have spent most of their time in Telangana and this has what has prompted the local BJP unit to demand an NIA probe.

Kishan Reddy, the BJP president of Telangana wants the NIA to be roped into the probe. He says that it is necessary to find out who had provided these men with shelter.

Moreover there are several other questions that arise out of this incident. Who provided them with arms and how did they manage to stay away from the nose of the police and the intelligence bureau for so long?

Who were their sympathizers who helped conceal them? Moreover where are the other three operatives who till date are on the run.

NIA will join the probe

For the NIA nabbing these three men is extremely important. Two have died, but three remain alive and they could provide the much wanted answers to the NIA which is probing into the Chennai train blasts case in which these SIMI operatives have been blamed.

The NIA is also expected to take up the Church Street, Bengaluru blasts case soon and feels that it could be the same gang behind this incident as well. The NIA which will file an FIR is all set to begin the hunt for the remaining three persons and hopes that answers will be found to several questions that the agency has been looking for.