'Arrested SIMI leaders wanted to train cadres'

Thirteen top leaders of the banned Student's Islamic Movement of India, who were arrested in Indore, had come to the city to finalise the training programme of its cadres, the police said on Friday.

"SIMI activists, under the leadership of former chief Safdar Nagori, had arrived in the city for the organisation's annual meeting. From the preliminary inquiry, it seems they finalised training programmes for its members during the meet," Indore Range Inspector General Anil Kumar said on Thursday night.

The leaders had been residing in Indore for over a month, Kumar said, adding that the police have recovered news clippings from them relating to the Mumbai train blasts.

Not ruling out their links with international terrorist organisations and the underworld, he said police now, as per the evidence available, was trying to expose their local network.

He also said that more arrests were expected from Indore and its adjoining areas in the next few days.

The outfit's top leaders were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police for allegedly being involved in weapons procurement and illegal financing of the outfit.

Among those arrested, as part of a special police operation that began on Wednesday night were Madhya Pradesh SIMI leader Safdar Nagori and his brother and chief of Andhra Pradesh operations Kamruddin.

The SIMI leaders were remanded in police custody till April 11 by a local court on Friday.

Nagori, who has been absconding since the outfit was banned in 2001, Shibly Peedical Abdul, wanted in connection with the Mumbai train serial blasts of July 2006 and setting up terror groups in Bangalore, and 11 other members of the group, were brought to the court by the sleuths of Special Task Force.

According to the Madhya Pradesh police, a large cache of weapons and inflammable SIMI literature were seized from them during the raids in Indore and Dhar districts of the state.

They have been charged with various sections of the Indian Penal Code including section 122 (collecting arms with intention of waging a war against the Indian government) and section 153A (promoting enmity between classes) and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.