SIMI Panayikulam camp case accused demand fair probe

Kochi, Oct 11 (UNI) With the Kerala Police forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to re-investigate the 2006 SIMI Panayikulam camp case and the 2007 Wagamon training camp, two of the accused today demanded a fair and impartial probe by SIT.

Addressing a press conference here, the two accused Rasik A Rahim and A J Shammas questioned SIT's claim last week that they were absconding.

Stating that they were under police surveillance and were willing to cooperate with SIT, the duo said they had not been summoned by the team so far.

A total of five people were arrested in connection with the meeting of the banned SIMI at Panayikulam in Aluva, near here, on August 15, 2006.

Of them, while two are in Indore jail in connection with some bomb blasts, one was in the Gulf.

The SIT, headed by DIG T K Vinod Kumar had earlier this week arrested two other youths -- Abdul Hakim (22) and Shamir (29) -- as part of the reinvestigation into the Panayikulam meeting.

Stating that they had spent 65 days in jail before being released on bail by Kerala high court, Mr Rahim, a former Kottayam district president of SIMI, said the police had not been able to file a chargesheet in the case even after two years.

Asked about the Wagamon training camp in December, 2007, the two said they had no knowledge about it. After the banning of SIMI by the Centre, they were now members of the Kerala-based Minority Rights Watch.

''We are not terrorists and the police should not project so.

This will isolate us in society and disturb our personal lives and business,'' Mr Rahim added.

Asked about the connection between SIMI and Indian Mujahideen, alleged to be behind the serial bomb blasts in different cities, Mr Rahim said they had no knowledge about this.

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