Suspected SIMI activists killed in Bhopal encounter hailed as `martyrs`

Bhopal: Banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) operatives, who were killed in an alleged police encounter following a daring prison break in Bhopal earlier this month, have now been hailed as 'martyrs'.

On October 31, eight members of SIMI escaped from Bhopal Central Jail after slitting the throat of guard Ramashankar Yadav. Eight hours after their escape, all the eight activists were killed a few kilometres from the city in a shootout with the police.

Later, bodies of five of the eight SIMI activists - Amjad Khan, Zakir Hussain, Mohammad Salik, Sheikh Mehboob and Aqueel Khilji - were on November 01 laid to rest at Bada Cemetery close to Abana river in their home district – Khandwa - amid tight security.

According to Pradesh 18, tombstones have now found to be placed over their graves.

Epitaphs on the gravestones hail the five deceased as martyrs.

Over 2,000 people had participated in the funeral procession earlier this month during which also the deceased were declared as martyrs.

Around 700 police personnel, some of them in plain clothes, had kept a watch on the funeral procession, sources said.