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INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - October 1st October 15th 2008
SUPREME COURT EXTENDS BAN ON SIMI
The Supreme Court extended till further orders the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) facing allegations of involvement in anti-national and terrorist activities.
A bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and Cyriac Joseph also transferred the matter to the appropriate bench, which is already hearing similar petitions.
The Union Government has come in appeal against the Delhi High Court judgement dated August 5, 2008, lifting ban on SIMI on the grounds that the evidence produced by the Centre was not adequate to justify it under the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act.
Earlier, a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan had stayed the operation of the order of Justice Geeta Mittal of the Delhi High Court.
Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium appearing for Union Home Ministry had earlier contended that the honourable High Court had failed to appreciate that there was enough evidence showing involvement of SIMI activists in incidents of recent bomb explosions and around 1900 SIMI activists were lodged in various jails in the country in around 89 cases, in which they were facing allegations of indulging in such activities.
The government has further alleged that the Special Tribunal of Delhi High Court has also overlooked the feedback given by Central intelligence and investigating agencies showing the links of SIMI with international and national terrorist outfits. The banned organisation, according to the government, was also having links with most wanted international fugitives and terrorists like Osama Bin Laden’s al Qeda and Dawood Ibrahim.
The government has extended the ban for another two years wide notification dated February seven, 2008.
According to Gujarat DCP P C Pandey, SIMI was operating under the new name of Indian Mujaheedin which has been the main suspect in recent Ahmedabad and Delhi bomb blasts.
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