SIMI was establishing training centre

Bhopal, Mar 28: Preliminary investigation conducted in the arrest of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists, police have found clues that it was preparing a training center for its activists in Indore. Police sources said that documents recovered from SIMI leaders indicated that they had plans to get some sheds in industrial areas on lease.

“SIMI activists, under the leadership of former chief Safdar Nagori, had arrived in the city for the organisation's annual meeting. From the preliminary inquiry, it seems they finalised training programmes for its members during the meet,” said Indore Range IG Anil Kumar. Kumar further informed that these leaders were residing in Indore for over a month. The police have formed 13 teams to interrogate each SIMI leader separately.

Meanwhile, police team from Haryana reached Indore on Friday to investigate Samjhauta Express bomb blast case in which SIMI was suspected. Besides, Indore police have intimated Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and other states regarding arrest of these leaders so that they might also interrogate them. Police teams from other states are likely to reach within few days. Police officials did not rule out SIMI leaders’ their links with international terrorist organisations and the underworld. As per the evidence available, police were trying to expose their local network.

DIG Madhu Babu said that more arrests were expected from Indore and its adjoining areas in the next few days. The outfit's top leaders were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police for allegedly being involved in weapons procurement and illegal financing of the outfit. The police on Friday produced all the 13 activists of SIMI, and they were remanded to police custody till April 11. The SIMI activists were produced before Dhar's Chief Judicial Magistrate SS Thakur, who conceded the government counsel's plea for custody for interrogation. Tight security arrangements were in place at the court premises. Few workers of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha staged demonstration while the activists were being brought to the court, but they dispersed soon on police advice.