Hyderabad, April 7 (IANS): Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday termed the killing of five undertrials in Telangana as murder and retaliation by police.

Owaisi, the MP from Hyderabad, has urged the government of Telangana to order thorough probe into the incident in which Viqaruddin Ahmed and four others were shot dead by police near Pemburti in Warangal district on Tuesday morning while being brought to Hyderabad from Warangal Central Jail. Police claimed that they had to open fire as the accused were trying to snatch weapon from them and flee.

The MIM president alleged that this murder is in retaliation to killing of three policemen in Nalgonda district, referring to the killings by alleged terror operatives belonging to banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

"This murder is in retaliation to killing of three policemen, which is condemnable but today's killing is also murder," Owaisi tweeted.

"All four were facing trial for killing a policeman in Hyderabad and other offences. One undertrial was from UP," said the MP, whose party is an ally of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana.