Five activists of an Islamic association suspected of being involved in terrorist acts have been killed after they allegedly attacked their police escort on the way from jail to a court.
The men were being taken from Warangal jail in Telegana state to a court in the city of Hyderabad on Tuesday.
They requested a stop to relieve themselves and the bus halted near Jangaon, about 100km northeast of Hyderabad, senior Warangal district police official B Malla Reddy said.
When one of the men's handcuffs were removed, he tried to snatch an AK 47 rifle from a policeman.
The others had also been trying to snatch weapons when policemen from inside the bus shot them dead, Reddy said.
Human rights activists have questioned why a group of 17 policemen could not control five prisoners.
The Telangana government has ordered a judicial probe into the incident.
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