Madhya Pradesh ATS ready with 2016 jailbreak's dossier for SIMI's ban

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Anti-terrorist squad (ATS) has issued letters to SIMI operatives lodged in Bhopal central jail seeking their representations, if any, against the Centre's decision to extend a ban on their organisation. A tribunal that has been constituted by MHA to decide over the ban will conduct a two-day hearing in Bhopal soon.

SIMI’s former national general secretary Safdar Nagori, self-proclaimed state chief Abu Faisal and 27 other alleged office bearers of this organisation are in Bhopal jail. Nagori, officials believe, would make a representation. They have been asked to respond through lawyers within a week’s time.

Meanwhile, MPATS is also ready with a dossier on ‘2016 Bhopal Jailbreak’ and many other classified inputs on their activities and parent organisations to press for a ban.

MHA had issued a notification on February 21 constituting the tribunal headed by a Delhi high court judge – Mukta Gupta – since the five-year ban on SIMI ended on January 31. This tribunal will ascertain whether there was sufficient reason to continue with ban on SIMI as an unlawful organisation.

Justice Gupta started proceedings on Thursday issuing a general notice informing the public at large and the organisation in question to approach it with any material in support of or against the Centre's decision on SIMI while posting the next date of hearing was April 15. MPATS has forwarded the same to the Bhopal central jail. S

SIMI members, who are inside the jail, had also been trying for transfers to other prisons citing threat to their life post the alleged encounter killing of eight members after the 2016 jailbreak. Supreme Court has already turned down a prayer for further inquiry into the death of eight SIMI men.

SIMI was banned under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. In February 2012, the United Progressive Alliance government continued the ban for two years.

During tribunal’s hearing at Bhopal in 2014, Madhya Pradesh police had presented blank membership forms of SIMI and books, which they claimed, had content intended at spreading communal disturbance along with references of relevant cases. Tribunal had conducted two-day sitting in Bhopal to record evidence with regard to review ban imposed on the fundamentalist organization. Police officers from three districts – Bhopal, Indore and Shajapur – had deposed before the tribunal, headed by Justice Suresh Kait, and urged for continuing with the ban on the organization five years ago.

They had presented several cases including Khandwa jailbreak, Mannapuram gold loot case, attack on ATS officers and seizures of primed explosive devices from different places across MP, in which SIMI leaders were allegedly involved. Tribunal had dismissed an application moved by SIMI’s counsel from Delhi Ashok Agrawal. Agrawal submitted a formal reply on ministry of home affairs SIMI’s background which was dismissed by tribunal on grounds that he crossed the deadline. Agrawal had been arguing several grounds on why the ban should be lifted.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5, read with sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government hereby constitutes the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Mukta Gupta, Judge, High Court of Delhi, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an unlawful association," MHA’s notification for tribunal on SIMI stated.