7/11 shadow: SIMI activist remanded to custody in MP

Ujjain, July 27 (UNI) With the banned SIMI's name coming up in the context of the '7/11' Mumbai transit terror assault, 24-year-old SIMI activist Mohammad Akil -- who was arrested by local police yesterday -- has been remanded to police custody until July 31.

Judicial Magistrate Niharika Singh handed down the remand.

Another SIMI worker Imran Ansari was brought here after being recently apprehended by Bhopal Police. Based on his confession, a case was registered against four SIMI activists at Kharakua Police Station on July 25.

The SIMI reportedly spread its tentacles across this ancient temple town long back. Its senior leader Safdar Nagori belongs to this place and went underground soon after the ban was imposed.

However, several of his associates are active in this district for a long period.

Crime Branch sources said in the post 7/11 scenario the police raided several locations at Ujjain, Mahidpur, Khachrod, Nagda and tehsil areas. Many persons were taken into custody and interrogated but later freed.

Akil was arrested during a raid late on July 25 at a Madargate flat and the police seized 25 books that came under the category of objectionable literature. Similarly, objectionable documents were seized at the Fazalpura flat of Mohammad Safi who is absconding.

In the wake of confessions by Ansari and Akil, cases were registered against Safi, SIMI magazine 'Tehrir-i-Milkat' Editor M N Naim -- based in Rajasthan's Kota -- and Indore's Imran. A police team left for Kota to apprehend Naim but he got wind of the matter and managed to give them the slip.

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