NIA court convicts 18 in SIMI training camp case, 17 acquitted

Kochi: A Special NIA court here today convicted 18 people in the December 2007 Wagamon SIMI arms training camp case. The court also acquitted 17 others. Special Judge Kauser Edappagath found the convicts guilty under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Explosives Substances Act and various sections of Indian Penal Code.

The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment tomorrow. While only two accused were produced today in the court, the others who are lodged in various jails in Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Bengaluru, attended the proceedings via multi-point video conference.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) which probed the case had charged the accused with involvement in terror activities and being in cahoots with terror groups besides criminal conspiracy and violation of Arms Act among others.

The case was investigated on the basis of complaint that a secret training camp was organised allegedly by Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) at Thangalpara, Wagamon in the state during December, 2007.

It is alleged that in and around November 2007, office bearers and functionaries of SIMI, a banned organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, entered into a criminal conspiracy in Choral, Indore, Madhya Pradesh to conduct training camps for their active cadres. NIA has alleged that they conducted camps at Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat from December 10, 2007 to December 12, 2007. They organised a secret training camp at Thangalpara, Wagamon within the limits of Mundakayam Police Station, Kottayam (Kerala).

The agency alleged that the SIMI cadres were involved in physical training, arms training, firing practices, manufacture of bombs/petrol bombs, motor bike racing and rope climbing practices in the camp. They also allegedly conducted “jihadi” classes in the camp with an intention to train the cadres to advocate, incite and abet unlawful, terrorist activities, disrupt communal harmony and causing threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the country, thereby waging war against Government of India.