30 SIMI activists chargesheeted by NIA in terror camp case

Kochi, Jan 13 (PTI) The NIA today filed a charge sheetagainst 30 hardcore SIMI activists from nine states accusingthem of sedition, waging war against the state and otheroffences for holding a terror training camp in Kerala in 2007to carry out attacks in the country.The accused were involved in various terror acts inthe country, including the Ahmedabad serial blasts that killed57 people and left over 150 injured on July 26, 2008, thecharge sheet filed before a CBI court here said.

From Dec 10-12, 2007, they held a secret training campat Thangalpara in Wagamon in Kerala, where classes on "Jihadin India" were also conducted.Twentynine of the accused have been arrested andlodged in Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad while one isabsconding.The camp in Kerala was conducted to train theparticipants to advocate, incite and abet terroristactivities, disrupt communal harmony, causing threat to thesovereignty and integrity of the country and thereby wagingwar against the legally established government, it said.

In the charge sheet filed before CBI Special courtjudge S Vijay Kumar, the activists of the banned StudentsIslamic Movement of India have been charged with offencesunder various sections of IPC, including 124-A (sedition), 122(Collecting arms etc. with intention of waging war against theGovernment of India, 153-1 (promoting enmity between differentgroups on grounds of religion) and (120-B) criminalconspiracy.Of the 30 accused, four are from Kerala, ten fromGujarat, nine from Karnataka, eight from Madhya Pradesh, twofrom Jharkhand, three from Uttar Pradesh and one fromMaharashtra.

The NIA has decided to conduct further investigationin case of seven other absconding accused, even though therewere no adequate prosecutable evidence, it said.

Investigation has revealed that in and around November2007, office bearers and functionaries of SIMI entered into acriminal conspiracy in Choral, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, andother places to hold training camps for their active cadres.

Accordingly, they conducted camps in Karnataka, MadhyaPradesh, Gujarat and later Kerala.

Oral and documentary evidence during the investigationestablished that in the camp the accused were engaged inphysical training, arms training, firing practice, manufactureof petrol bombs, motorbike racing and rope climbing.

Forensic evidence confirmed use of explosives in thecamp. Similarly, training on preparing of petrol bombs and itsuse could be established from the crime scene and subsequentforensic examination, the charge sheet said. .