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Police admit to lack of ‘direct evidence’ against SIMI

Special Correspondent

SIT team leaves for Lucknow to search Shahbaz’s house

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan police on Saturday admitted that they have “no direct evidence” against the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) proving its complicity in the May 13 serial blasts in Jaipur and expressed the hope that the search at prime suspect Shahbaz Hussain’s house in Lucknow would produce some tangible material.

A group headed by an Additional Superintendent of Police of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) left for Lucknow to search Shahbaz’s house. Deputy Inspector General of Police A. Ponnuchami said the team would especially look for Shahbaz’s computer, hard disk and compact disks.

“Some documents providing vital clues have already been seized from the suspect’s house.”

Shahbaz, who was brought here after being arrested in Lucknow earlier this week and has since been remanded to police custody till September 5, is being interrogated.

The DIG said Shahabaz (32) became the SIMI president after the arrest of Safdar Nagori from Indore in April this year. “He has admitted that he formed a committee comprising four top SIMI functionaries to further the banned outfit’s agenda.”

He said though Shahbaz had been captured on the basis of a clue provided by Sajid Mansuri, presently in the custody of Gujarat police, the Rajasthan police were in the process of evolving a “systematic evidence” against him. “We have enough material to contradict him during his grilling. Our probe is progressing in the right direction.”

Asked about specific leads, Mr. Ponnuchami said the team in Lucknow had informed the SIT here that it had found a photograph of a microchip similar to the one detected in the unexploded bombs in Surat from Shahbaz’s personal belongings. He said Shahbaz could be subjected to narco test “if the need arises during investigation.”

The SIT will also shortly obtain production warrants to arrest Sajid Mansuri and Abul Bashir held by the Gujarat police on charges of masterminding the Ahmedabad and Jaipur bombings.

Referring to the simultaneous arrest of seven people from Kota in the case, Mr. Ponnuchami said Sajid had stayed with them for a long time with his adopted name Salim. They knew his real identity and plans and even attended a training camp organised by him at Halol. He said their inputs would help reveal SIMI’s designs to perpetrate violence.

Asked about the detonators allegedly obtained by the blast culprits from a State government-run factory in Dholpur, the DIG said investigation was on to discover the outlet though which the explosive material came in the possession of terrorists.

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