Surat: All 124 accused nabbed in December 2001 for their participation in alleged SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) meeting in Surat have been acquitted by local court in Surat today.

According to lawyer of accused who have been acquitted, ‘in year 2001, Athwalines police station’s inspector Pancholi had filed First Information Report (FIR) claiming that he had secret information from the State government regarding a three-day convention of banned organization SIMI at Rajshi hall of Sangrampura area. The convention was raided by police and 123 persons were nabbed. Five other persons were nabbed later on for their alleged connection. Police probed the case and filed chargesheet under UAPA law sections 3, 10, 15 and 17. After about twenty years, Chief Judicial Magistrate Dave in his order today concluded that contrary to provision of section 17 in UAPA law, valid sanction of central government was not taken in this case. The state government had not applied mind while giving State level sanction. Complainant party failed to prove that those nabbed were SIMI members and were involved in any anti-national activity. Some of those arrested were doctors, some educationists, some engineers and some were advocates and their motives could not be doubted.’

Some of accused passed away in the course of twenty-year court case. DeshGujarat

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