The Hindu : Front Page : Five suspected SIMI activists held at Aluva

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Thursday, Aug 17, 2006

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Five suspected SIMI activists held at Aluva

Staff Reporter

Police step up vigil against `subversive activities' in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Home Department has stepped up vigil against ``subversive activities'' in the State following the arrest of five persons, suspected to be activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), at Aluva on Wednesday.

Shaduli (24), his brother-in-law Abdul Rafeeq (27), Shamaz (20), all hailing from Irattupettah in Kottayam; Ansar (25) of Kadungaloor in Aluva and Nizamudeen (24) of Alangadu were booked under Sections 10 and 13 (1) (b) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police said Sahduli was a B.Tech. holder in electronic engineering and Rafeeq was a trained teacher. The police detained 18 suspects on Tuesday morning while they were attending a meeting at the Hafi Auditorium near Panaikulam. Of these, 13 were released after questioning.

Pamphlets, books seized

The police said they recovered ``seditious'' material including SIMI pamphlets and a book, "Mass Resistance in Kashmir-Origin, Evolution and Options". The Islamic Foundation based in Leicester in the U.K published this book authored by Taheer Ameen of the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad. The book was borrowed from a local library. The police inspected the library later.

The police said the Islamic Youth Movement, a relatively low-profile organisation, had convened the meeting, which was a cover to recruit impressionable youth to the SIMI. A special team was set up at Aluva to get to the bottom of what a senior police official described as a "conspiracy with security implications for Kerala."

In June, the Government informed the tribunal examining the legality of the ban on the SIMI that its activists were operating in the State under cover of at least 12 organisations.

It said the activists had "of late" developed links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation. The Government made the declaration relying on ``secret and confidential'' reports from various agencies, including the State Special Branch Police.

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