A court in Gujarat on Saturday acquitted 122 people arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for participating in a meeting ...
A court in Gujarat on Saturday acquitted 122 people arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for participating in a meeting in Surat as members of the banned outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India, or SIMI, reported PTI. The Surat Police had arrested 127 people in 2001.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate AN Dave acquitted the 122 people, giving them the benefit of doubt. Five of the remaining accused had died during the pendency of the trial.
“The court has found that the accused had gathered to attend [an] educational programme and had not carried any weapon,” the court said, according to The Indian Express. “The prosecution has also not proved that the accused had gathered for any activity related to SIMI. Even during the raids not a single member out of 123 arrested from the spot tried to escape. Neither do the seized documents have any relevance with SIMI.”
On December 28, 2001, the Surat city police had carried out raids at a hall in Navsari Bazaar, apparently on a tip-off, and arrested 123 people who had come from across the country for a gathering.
The police claimed that they had recovered forms to enrol into SIMI, as well as banners, books and literature praising terrorist Osama bin Laden. They...
