KOCHI: In a fresh move aimed at checking the proscribed Students Islamic Movement of India’s (SIMI) activities, the Kerala Police have again started collecting the details of all its former activists and associates in the state.
Police teams will collect details of the activities of the persons who have been listed out by the intelligence wing and also prepare reports on the cases in which they have been involved in the past four years.
Intelligence officers said though the SIMI was banned in 2014 under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the organisation’s various cells have been active in the state, either having merged with other organisations or assumed new names.
State police chief Loknath Behera told Express the Centre has asked for the details.“We’ll look at the type of cases in which the persons have been involved in the last couple of years. The Crime Branch will be asked to collect the necessary information,” said Behera, adding the Union Home Ministry has sought an update on SIMI’s activities to take a final call on whether the ban should be extended or not.“We’ll be preparing a comprehensive report as the Centre has given us sufficient time,” he said.
As per the investigation by the Kerala Police into the arrests of Islamic State sympathisers in the state, a few of the arrested have a history of being SIMI associates. Investigation officers said that SIMI’s earlier tone of activities in the state had certain underlying similarities with the Islamic State doctrine and campaign.
The Union Ministry has asked for reports on SIMI from all states as the ban on the organisation ends on January 31, 2019. It was in 2001 the SIMI was initially declared as an outlawed organisation. Subsequently, the ban continued and on July 30, 2014, a tribunal confirmed the ban for a period of five years.