By IANS
Bhopal : Seven more suspected activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were arrested in Madhya Pradesh, the police said Monday.
Five of the activists were arrested from Ujjain and two were nabbed from Indore during operations at suspected hideouts Sunday night, said the police.
The police said the SIMI activists were attending a meet in Indore when they were apprehended.
“Their interrogation will reveal their plans,” said Indore Superintendent of Police Anshuman Yadav.
The searches were conducted after a tip off from SIMI activists arrested last week. The police had apprehended at least 10 members of the outfit, including its all-India chief Safdar Nagori, in Indore.
Those arrested in Indore include Abdul Razzak and Rais while Jahid Pervez, Aiayyaz, Akbar, Mehamoof Sheikh and Irshad Ali were arrested in Ujjain, said the police.
Indore range Inspector General of Police Anil Kumar said it was yet to be ascertained whether they were active SIMI members or just extending support to the outfit in terms of logistics and funds.
The SIMI is believed to have several dormant activists in Indore and Ujjain. The outfit was banned in 2001.
Before the ban, its presence was largely confined to the districts of Indore, Khandwa and Bhopal with its state headquarters in Ujjain.
Later SIMI presence was reported from Burhanpur, Guna, Neemuch and Shajapur districts, according to police records.
Now the SIMI has presence in almost the entire western Malwa region of the state. Cases against it were also registered in Sivni, Jabalpur and Sheopur districts in the northeastern part of Madhya Pradesh.
Before the ban, 33 cases were registered against SIMI activists in various districts for spreading religious discord. After the 2001 ban, 49 cases were registered against the outfit.