Court allows sedition case against SIMI withdrawal

Bahraich, Lucknow, Sep 6 (UNI) In a major decision, the court today allowed withdrawal of sedition case against the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) national president Shahid Badr Falahi and eleven other activists.

District and session judge Anil Kumar Sinha pronounced his judgement on an Uttar Pradesh government application, seeking to withdraw the sedition case against SIMI office bearers registered at Bahraich in 2001.

The court based its judgement on the UP government order (GO) for the withdrawal of the case early this year.

Submitting before district judge, public prosector Anwar Ahmad Khan contended there was no evidence in case documents, that could form the basis to prosecute SIMI members.

He said the FIR in the case was registered 60 hrs after the speech and the chargesheet was filed after one year.

On September 17, 2001, the Kotwali police had lodged a case (532/2001) against Dr Falahi and eleven others after a SIMI seminar was held at Sir Sayyed Girls' College, Bahraich, where Dr Falahi delivered inflammatory speeches.

At present all the 12 accused, including Dr Falahi are out on bail.

Earlier, the SIMI activists got some respite when Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav defended the controversial outfit, saying it had no links with any terrorist organisation.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had already extended the ban on the outfit for another six months in April last, while several SIMI activists were nabbed in the aftermath of July's serial bomb blast in Mumbai local trains.

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