Centre seeks States’ opinion

With the five-year ban imposed on the terror outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act coming to an end on January 31, 2019, the Centre has written to State Governments seeking an update on the activities of SIMI so that a final call can be taken on the continuation of ban imposed on it beyond January next year. The Centre is expected to demand for extension of ban for another five years. The first ban was imposed on 2001, after the role of SIMI modules and sleeper cells in several bomb blasts and anti-national activities were found.

“In case the State Government finds that the aforesaid organisation is still indulging in unlawful activity and other activities prejudicial to the integrity and internal security of the nation or with a potential to threaten the secular fabric of the country, the relevant material covering cases under the Act registered before February 1, 2014, and their latest status indicating persons convicted, released, appeal preferred, if any, may be provided to this Ministry,” the letter sent by Joint Secretary in the home ministry SCL Das said.

Cases registered on or after February 1, 2014, and their status which can stand judicial scrutiny, any other relevant information concerning SIMI along with the State Government’s assessment and recommendation for a fresh ban may be furnished and a nodal officer may also be nominated for regular interaction and follow up, it said.

 The Home Ministry said it is essential to watch the activities of SIMI and if its membership continues then ‘ipso facto’ a case of unlawful activity under the law is made out. “If this organisation and its members commit offences in furtherance of their aims and objectives, then the charge sheet would have to contain the reference to such violation of Act. This is important since the evidence of such activities in the form of FIRs and charge sheets are required to be produced before the Tribunal,” the communication said.

The SIMI was established on April 25, 1977, in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, and the organisation mooted the agenda of liberating India by converting it into an Islamic country. In most of the cases registered by NIA, many SIMI activists are found as accused and languishing in jails for series of bomb blasts for the past two decades. After the ban many SIMI members have floated many organisations to evade from the actions of agencies.