5 SIMI activists awarded life term for possession of explosives

Five activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special NIA court in Bhopal for carrying explosives, on Thursday. The court awarded life term to Abdul Aziz, Javed, Abdul Wahid, Jubar and Mohammad Adil. Special NIA judge Girish Dixit also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 each. In 2014, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had recovered huge cache of explosives including dynamite, gelatin rods, bombs, pipes and other destructive materials from the possession of them.

Of the total 12 accused in the case, two were killed in an encounter with the police in October two years ago. Five others namely Umar, Sajid, Sadiq, Abu Faizal and Irfan Nagori were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence against them.

The SIMI members allegedly posed as farmers and labourers while running their unlawful activities.The ATS recovered 800 gelatin sticks, 540 detonators, a pipe bomb and some other kinds of explosives from their hideout during the raid by STF.

The arrest was not smooth as locals had opposed the STF’s action in Topkhana area of Ujjain. The administration had somehow controlled the hostility. 

Public Prosecutor Rajendra Upadhyay claimed that the seized explosives were lethal and could have caused massive damage and hence, pushed for maximum punishment for the arrested accused.