Three more SIMI activists arrested in Indore

New Delhi: Three more activists of the banned Students Islamic Movements of India (SIMI) have been arrested in Indore on Wednesday.

The three include a 'trainer' and have been identified as Amaan, Zakir Lala and Irfan Chhipa. All three were held from different areas in the state.

Indore Superintendent of Police, Anshuman Singh Yadav was quoted by news agency PTI as saying, "Amaan is engaged in training SIMI activists, while Zakir had been the local chief of the banned outfit. Chhipa was held for helping SIMI and carrying out other illegal activities. Earlier, he was arrested in 2006 on the same grounds."

During interrogation all the three confessed to have been working to strengthen the organisation at the behest of top SIMI leaders, Yadav was further quoted as saying.

Detonators and other explosives were also recovered from a farm house in Indore. The raid was conducted by the police after the arrested SIMI leadership gave clues about the hidden arms during interrogation.

Thirteen SIMI activists were held in Indore last week, after the Madhya Pradesh Police received a tip-off on their whereabouts. Among those arrested was the General Secretary of SIMI, Safdar Nagori.

The police have been questioning the arrested men to try and establish whether they were involved in the Mumbai train blasts in 2006.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police are seeking the custody of Safdar Nagori,

"We have decided to seek the custody of Nagori and will move an application in a court Indore very soon," Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

Nagori, who was arrested along with 12 other top leaders of SIMI on March 27 along with huge cache of weapons, is wanted in connection with "publishing and distributing pamphlets inciting Muslims to fight against government".

One of the influential SIMI leaders, Nagori has managed to escape in September 2001 when Delhi Police personnel raided the outfit's office in Zakir Nagar in south Delhi soon after the government banned the organisation.

The activists who were held last week have allegedly claimed that they were hatching a conspiracy to target top BJP leaders LK Advani and Narendra Modi.