SIMI encounter: Senior official suspended for jailbreak

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government today suspended Deputy Inspector General (Jails) Mansharam Patel for alleged negligence in connection with the jailbreak by eight SIMI activists here last month.

The SIMI members, all under trials, were killed in an alleged encounter by police on the outskirts of the city within hours of their escape from Bhopal Central Jail on October 31.

Patel has been suspended in connection with the jailbreak case, a senior official said today.

He was suspended on charges of negligence, the official said.

The SIMI men had escaped from the high-security jail after killing a head constable on the intervening night of October 30-31.

The state government has mandated retired High Court judge S K Pandey to probe the incident.