Tribunal lifts ban on SIMI

New Delhi, August 5 
A specially-designated tribunal today lifted the ban imposed by the Centre on the activities of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Justice Geeta Mittal of the Delhi High Court, who headed the tribunal, held that there was no new evidence submitted by the government against the SIMI to justify the extension of the ban, a top law officer said.

The government only came out with the evidence of Malegaon blast in Maharashtra in 2006 to show the complicity of the organisation in unlawful activities which was not sufficient to come out with the notification to ban it.

The ban was first imposed on the SIMI in 2001 under the Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act and since then it has been extended after every two years.

The last notification on the ban, which was challenged in the tribunal, was issued by the home ministry on February 7 this year and was supposed to be in force till 2010.

The tribunal during the hearing had asked the government to bring new facts to justify its decision.

The SIMI had challenged the notification issued by the government contending that there was no fresh evidence against it and the ban cannot be continued on the basis of previous evidence.

During the proceedings the tribunal had expressed its dissatisfaction with the notification saying that there were no fresh facts given by the government for extending the ban on the SIMI.