By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
New Delhi: The banned Students Islamic Movement of India has decided not to fight the ban. Appearing before the Delhi High Court tribunal today in Delhi, SIMI lawyer Jawahar Raja told the tribunal that the group is not interested in contesting the ban as the government does not respect verdict of the tribunal. On February 7, 2010, SIMI was banned fifth time by the central government for alleged terror activities.
Coming out of the Delhi court, ex-SIMI president Shahid Badr Falahi told TwoCircles.net that they have got fed-up with the attitude of the government. “The government has made a mockery of the judicial system and it does not respect the verdict of tribunal. So there is no meaning of fighting ban before the tribunal,” he said.
The fourth ban on SIMI was lifted by a Delhi High Court tribunal headed by Justice Geeta Mittal in August 2008 but the Congress-led UPA Government at the centre approached the Supreme Court within hours and secured stay on the tribunal order.
It is interesting that no hearing has since taken place on the stay in the Supreme Court. Neither has the apex court turned to any of four SLPs filed after every ban.
SIMI was banned first time in September 2001. Since then, the government has extended the ban every two years. After every ban it constitutes a tribunal. All three tribunals upheld the ban but the fourth tribunal lifted the ban, saying there was no solid proof of SIMI being involved in terrorist activities.