Judicial tribunal upholds 5-year ban on SIMI

A judicial tribunal established by the government to review the extension of the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has upheld the ban.

The tribunal, presided over by Delhi High Court Judge Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, cited ISIS links among a host of reasons for the decision.

In a notification issued on January 29, the Union Home Ministry had extended the ban on SIMI for five more years and declared it an 'unlawful association'.

The ministry had said that the SIMI "continues to be involved in fomenting terrorism, disturbing peace and communal harmony which are prejudicial to the sovereignty, security and integrity of India".

Later, a tribunal was constituted on February 16 to decide whether there were sufficient reasons to declare SIMI an illegal organisation or not.

On July 24, the judicial tribunal, in the exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (3) of Section 4 of the UAPA, passed an order confirming the announcement of the ban on SIMI, an official notification said.

Established in 1977 in Aligarh Muslim University, the SIMI was first banned in 2001 and since then the ban has been extended periodically.