A Special Tribunal Tuesday lifted the ban imposed by the Centre on the activities of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) saying there was no fresh evidence to justify the extension of the measure first clamped in 2001.
In a setback to the Home Ministry, the order by Justice Geeta Mittal of the Delhi High Court, who headed the specially-designated tribunal, came at a time when there is speculation of SIMI role in the serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. The ban has been extended thrice.
The judge held that the Centre had given no new evidence against the SIMI to warrant the extension of the ban and asked the Centre to justify the measure, a top law officer said.
The government however maintains that the outfit is still an unlawful association.
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, according to the judge.
Reacting to the order tonight, the Union Home Ministry indicated that the order will be challenged. "The ministry will examine the order in detail and take remedial action on a priority basis," a Ministry spokesman said.
He said a preliminary perusal of the tribunal's order indicates that it has not confirmed the ban on SIMI on technical grounds.
SIMI's lawyeer Trideep Pais welcomed the order and said governmente had no materialproof to support the extension of the ban. The ban was infortunate but justaice was done, he said.
In a setback to the Home Ministry, the order by Justice Geeta Mittal of the Delhi High Court, who headed the specially-designated tribunal, came at a time when there is speculation of SIMI role in the serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. The ban has been extended thrice.
The judge held that the Centre had given no new evidence against the SIMI to warrant the extension of the ban and asked the Centre to justify the measure, a top law officer said.
The government however maintains that the outfit is still an unlawful association.
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, according to the judge.
Reacting to the order tonight, the Union Home Ministry indicated that the order will be challenged. "The ministry will examine the order in detail and take remedial action on a priority basis," a Ministry spokesman said.
He said a preliminary perusal of the tribunal's order indicates that it has not confirmed the ban on SIMI on technical grounds.
SIMI's lawyeer Trideep Pais welcomed the order and said governmente had no materialproof to support the extension of the ban. The ban was infortunate but justaice was done, he said.
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