BHOPAL: Two alleged operatives of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), including its self-styled Madhya Pradesh head Abu Faisal alias Doctor was sentenced to life on Saturday by a special NIA court in Bhopal in August 2010 Manappuram Gold Loan Finance Company robbery case.
The special judge (NIA cases) Girish Dixit held the two accused Abu Faisal alias Doctor (35) a resident of Mumbai and Mohd Ikrar (43) resident of Khandwa (MP) guilty for the crime and pronounced life sentence to them.
Among the two SIMI men convicted by the special court in Bhopal on Saturday, Faisal has already been sentenced to life during October 2015 in another case pertaining to the November 2009 murder of MP ATS constable Sitaram Yadav.
Both the convicted men are presently lodged with other alleged SIMI operatives at the Bhopal Central Jail.
According to the prosecution counsels, a total of eight men are accused in the case. Out of the eight accused, four men, among them Zakir, Mohd Aslam, Mohd Aizazuddin and Sheikh Mujeeb Ahmad have been killed allegedly in encounters with police in the past, while two others Sharad Singh and Shailendra Kumar Mahato are yet to be arrested in the case.
The remaining two accused Faisal and Ikrar were sentenced to life by the special court in Bhopal on Saturday.
The six SIMI men with the aid of two others had executed broad daylight armed robbery at the Manappuram Gold Loan Finance Company located at the Hamidia Road on August 23, 2010. The alleged SIMI men had looted cash and gold worth around Rs 1.90 crores.
The six accused were arrested by the MP ATS team headed by IG Vipin Maheshwari in Bhopal in June 2011.
The accused were charged with criminal conspiracy, robbery under relevant IPC sections, besides the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.