The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the ban against the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for another five years. The organisation was declared an “unlawful association,” under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for the first time in 2001.
The MHA said in a post on X, “SIMI has been found involved in fomenting terrorism, disturbing peace and communal harmony to threaten the sovereignty, security and integrity of Bharat.”
To justify the ban, the MHA’s notification on January 29 listed 28 “grounds.”
This includes 17 cases registered against ex-SIMI cadres in the past five years and 11 instances where SIMI members have been convicted by courts of law for various crimes committed between the years 2006-2014.
The fresh cases include two First Information Reports (FIR) registered at Gangapur police station in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan on Aigust 25, 2019 for “pelting stones from the top of Jama Masjid on the rally of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)” on VHP’s Foundation Day.
Some of the cases do not mention if the suspects are connected with SIMI.
NIA case
The notification said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case against Athar Parvej and Mohd. Jalaluddin of Phulawari Sharif, Patna in 2022 “relating to conspiracy of disrupting the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister in July 2022. Both the accused were arrested and charge-sheeted under various provision including section 17, 18, 18A, 18B 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.”
Another case mentioned in the notification pertains to 2023 when the NIA registered a case against Saquib Nachan, ex-National General Secretary of SIMI. “He was main conspirator and radicalising Muslims for violent Jihad or Hijarat. He was giving ‘Baith’ (Pledge and Allegiance to ISIS) to Muslim youths. Further, he motivated other persons to take ‘Baith’ of ISIS. He is alleged to have established ‘Al Sham’ like area in Padga village, wherein sharia law is followed,” the notification said.
MHA said that T. Naseer, ex-SIMI member, who later joined Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) while being lodged in Bengaluru jail, selected “newly lodged under trial prisoners and got them transferred to his barrack.” A case was registered by NIA in 2023.
“He further convert, radicalise and recruit them for furthering the activities of LeT in Central Prison, Bengaluru from 2017 onwards. In furtherance to their conspiracy and on the instructions of T. Naseer, co-accused arranged arms and ammunitions and explosives in collusion with other accused. He was involved in raising funds in the prison for furthering their activities of proscribed terrorist organisation. The accused has been charge-sheeted in the case under the provisions of UAPA. He has been charge-sheeted on January 12, 2024,” the notification said.
Recommendation of States
MHA said that the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh recommended that SIMI be declared an ‘unlawful association.’
“The Central Government is further of the opinion that if the unlawful activities of the SIMI are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the opportunity to –continue its subversive activities and re-organise its activists who are still absconding; disrupt the secular fabric of the country by polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony; propagate anti-national sentiments; escalate secessionism by supporting militancy; and undertake activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country,” MHA said.
