ATS and Mumbai Crime Branch together have formed nearly a dozen teams headed by an inspector level officer, for various jobs on hand, like interrogation of SIMI cadre, verification of data arriving from various agencies etc.







According to Mumbai Police sources,

The LeT supplied the RDX used in the blasts and SIMI executed the plan on the ground.

The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was formed in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, in April 1977. The stated mission of SIMI is the ‘liberation of India’ by converting it to a Dar al-Islam through violent means, if necessary. The Indian Government banned this organization in 2002.







Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi, professor of journalism and public relations at the Western Illinois University, was the founding president of SIMI. SIMI was initially working as a student wing of the Jamaat-e Islami Hind (JIH). The alliance was short-lived. In 1981, SIMI activists protested against PLO leader Yasser Arafat’s visit keiguoius to India, and greeted him with black flags in New Delhi.







Young SIMI activists identified Arafat as a western puppet, while the senior JIH leaders saw Arafat as a champion of the cause of Palestine. JIH decided to abandon SIMI and floated a new student wing, the Students Islamic Organization (SIO).







SIMI believes that Osama bin Laden is an outstanding example of a true Mujahid, who has undertaken Jihad on behalf of the ‘ummah’. They also blame the 9/11 attacks on Israel’s Mossad.







Organization



SIMI claims to have about 400 Ansar or registered members and about 20,000 supporting members. It also claims to have a separate women’s wing and a children’s wing under the name “Shaheen Force”.







SIMI published several magazines in various languages, including al-Harkah in Urdu, Tahreek in Hindi, Iqraa in Gujrati, Rupantar in Bengali, Sedhi Madal in Tamil, Vivekam in Malayalam, Movement in English and Shaheen Times in English for children.



Alleged Links with Foreign Organizations



Indian government alleges that SIMI is associated with Pakistan’s ISI and also with numerous anti-Indian groups. Charges of sedition have been brought against some members of SIMI. Part of the Indian Government’s crack down against SIMI is also due to the latter’s declaration that the disputed state of Jammu & Kashmir is not an integral part of India.



Indian authorities (central and several state governments) frequently allege that SIMI is involved in terrorist activities.







After the recent 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, there have been 300 people detained as suspects in the attack. The police have said that most of the people that have been detained are part of SIMI. Activists of the organization have also been accused of being part of an earlier bombing in Mumbai in 2003 where 55 people were killed.



Ban and Aftermath



On September 28, 2001, SIMI was proscribed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), accused of having links with foreign intelligence and “terrorist” organizations worldwide, and of attempting to “destabilize the nation”.



Although the POTA act was later withdrawn by the current government the ban against SIMI is still in force.



SIMI is also accused of receiving funds from abroad, especially from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. SIMI was banned to operate or have memberships.



On July 6, 2006, the Supreme Court of India refused to lift the ban.



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