Police submit evidence against SIMI to Tribunal

A special tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to decide the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India today recorded the evidence of three police officers.

A special tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to decide the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) on Saturday recorded the evidence of three police officers.

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These officers had investigated the 2006 Malegaon blasts, 7/11 serial train blasts and the Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror outfit case.

They included two assistant commissioners of police, Ashok Duraphe, who investigated the IM case and KN Singal, who investigated the 2006 Malegaon blast case.

The third officer, Sadashiv Patil, who was part of the team that investigated the train blasts of July 11, 2006 told the tribunal that the SIMI publication – 'SIMI ke Sangarsh ke 25 Saal' – recovered from one of the accused, was published before the outfit was banned in 2001.

However, the publication was circulated after the ban was imposed on SIMI, Patil said adding the book contained objectionable material.

The tribunal presided by Justice Sanjay Khanna of Delhi High Court had yesterday recorded statements of six other police officers, who submitted evidence on cases registered against SIMI members, justifying the need to extend the ban on SIMI.