Nine Alleged SIMI Members Acquitted

Mumbai : A metropolitan magistrate court in Kurla on Thursday acquitted nine persons alleged to be members of banned organization, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who were booked for involvement in illegal activities. Among those acquitted include Ehtesham Qutbuddin Siddiqui and Dr Tanveer Ansari who are also facing trial in the serial train blasts of 2006. On September 2001, the Central government declared SIMI a banned organization. According to prosecution the complaint was filed after a police officer came to know about some SIMI members in Kurla. The officer informed his senior, who in turn formed a team and raided the entire area where seven persons were arrested after a preliminary inquiry. Two more arrests were made later in the case.