Supreme Court extends ban on SIMI for six weeks

New Delhi, Aug 25 : The Supreme Court today extended the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) by six weeks.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan also fixed September 24 as the date for next hearing in this case.

The Centre had challenged the decision of the Special Tribunal headed by Justice Geeta Mittal to lift the ban on SIMI.

On August 6, a bench headed by the Chief Justice Balakrishnan stayed a special tribunal order that had earlier ordered lifting restrictions on its activities.

The apex court had also issued notice to SIMI and posted the matter for hearing after three weeks.

The Centre has complained to the apex court that the tribunal set up under the Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act, in its 263-page order has not expressed anything on the merits of the case even when the government had provided Intelligence Bureau reports pointing towards members of SIMI indulging in terrorist activities.

The tribunal headed by Geeta Mittal, had on August 5 quashed the February 7 notification of the Centre extending the ban on SIMI till 2010 saying no new evidence was placed against the organisation to justify the ban.

SIMI, banned since 2001, has been under the scanner of security and intelligence agencies for terror attacks in various parts of the country including the recent blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

The ban was first imposed on SIMI in 2001 under the Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act and since then it has been extended after every two years.

ANI