Supreme Court Rejects Plea Against Extension Of Ban On Terror Group SIMI

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging an order confirming the five-year extension of the ban imposed on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

A former SIMI member had approached the top court against a tribunal order which upheld the Home Ministry order declaring SIMI as an "unlawful association" under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to hear the plea against the July 24, 2024 order of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal.

The tribunal was constituted under the UAPA after the Centre on January 29, 2024 decided to extend the ban on SIMI for five years.

It was set up for adjudicating whether or not there was sufficient cause for declaring SIMI an outlawed organisation.

SIMI was first banned in September 2001. The ban continues till today.

The ban was last extended in 2024 via a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs. While extending the ban on SIMI, the government said the group was involved in fomenting terrorism and disturbing peace and communal harmony in the country.

Today, the court said that it will deal with the case along with other cases that are already pending before the court.

The petitioner's counsel today informed the top court that there are 10 other similar cases pending before the Court, raising important questions of law.

The counsel requested the bench to issue notice on the plea and tag it with the pending matters.

When he said the petitioner was a former member of SIMI, the bench orally observed, "Then why are you here? Let the organisation come." After the counsel said the organisation did not exist, the bench asked, "How does it affect you then?" The counsel said there were legal issues that remained in the matter.

SIMI was established on April 25, 1977 in Aligarh Muslim University as a front organisation of youth and students, having faith in Jamait-e-Islami-Hind (JEIH). However, the organisation declared itself independent in 1993 through a resolution.