SC extends ban on SIMI

The Supreme Court today extended the ban on students Islamic movement of India that is SIMI for six weeks. The court was hearing a petition filed by Central Government against special tribunal's order lifting ban on SIMI. The government had to face tough arguments from lawyer Kamini Jaiswal who questioned the ban saying the government has failed to give any specific evidence against the banned outfit.

When the arguments in the case relating to ban on SIMI started, the lawyer Kamini Jaiswal appearing for Dr. Shahi Badr, the former president of SIMI pulled up the government for banning SIMI. Jaiswal went on to say that the government should have material against the organisation on the day it is banned but in this case the government was providing the material after banning the organisation. According to SIMI lawyer," the government talks of background paper but when you see this background paper, most of the people named here have already faced trial and they have been acquitted by the court of law. The government can not mislead the court like this. The notification banning the organisation should contain the grounds for the ban, but in this case notification failed to set out the grounds"

This led Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to intervene and clarify to the court that the court has to consider the material gathered after February 2006 and acquittals before this date do not have any relevance with the case. The ASG was quick to point out that Tribunal judge herself gave a finding that there is an increase in violent activities after February 2006. Subramanium also mentioned that the government has put on record the cabinet note about SIMI's terror activities. He also mentioned about the bomb blasts in Mumbai trains in July 2006 saying that SIMI played an active role in the blasts. The court has adjourned the matter for six weeks and listed the same for September 24th.