SIMI activists in for 5 years, prosecution fails to prove sedition charge

The much awaited verdict on SIMI activists is out and while three of the SIMI activists have been given five year jail term, three were set free.

The much awaited verdict on SIMI activists is out and while three of the SIMI activists have been given five year jail term, three were set free.

HT Image

But, in what can be considered to be a major setback, the prosecution failed to substantiate the sedition charges that had been slapped against the activists. Proving the sedition charge would have entailed a life term for the accused.

The sentenced Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists are Samiullah, Faizad and Khalid while those set free include Waliuddin, Mukunuddin and Nafesar. On March 27, 2008, in the biggest ever operation against SIMI in Madhya Pradesh, a joint team of Indore and Dhar police had arrested 13 activists from a house in Shyam Nagar.

It is worth mentioning that the prosecution had asked permission from the high court to conduct Nagori's trail through video conferencing because bringing him from jail in Pune to Indore was proving to be a difficult task because of the security risks involved.

The trial at first had been going on in Dhar court, but the SIMI activists had appealed before the high court that they did not expect a fair trail in Dhar and there was also a security threat owing to the hostile environment. The court agreed and the case was transferred to Indore in December, 2009.

Those arrested in 2008 included former SIMI general secretary Safdar Nagori, Kamruddin Nagori alias Raju, Ameel Parvaz, Kamran, Silvi, his brother Shabbir, Ansar, Yasin, Hafiz Hussain, Ahmad Beg, Sharmi, Munroz, Faizad and Khalid. Later four more including Waliuddin, Mukruddin and Nafesar were also arrested.