14 suspected SIMI members who were arrested last year get bail

A local court granted bail to 14 suspected Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists on Monday, who were arrested last year in Chhattisgarh.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Kumar granted bail to Umer Siddique, Mohammed Dawood, Abdul Wahid, Abdul Aziz, Sheikh Azizullah, Hayat, Sheikh Habibullah, Mohammed Aslam, Subhan, Mohammed Sayeed, Mohammed Ameer, Salim Ahmed, Roshan Sheikh and Mohammed Sher Ali, their counsel Amin Khan said on Monday.

They were released on personal bonds of Rs one lakh and bail of Rs 50,000, he said. Chhattisgarh police had busted an alleged terror module in the state with arrests of 16 alleged SIMI operatives in November and December last year. The police had alleged that Umer Siddhiqui (35), among the arrested SIMI activists, had planned the July 7 blasts at Bodh Gaya temple complex in Bihar, and also planned to attack BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during his rallies in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Police also said that the absconding culprit of Patna serial blasts Haider Ali alias Abdulla and others landed in Raipur from Rourkela after the incident. Siddhiqui and his associates allegedly put them up in a rented house in the Sanjay Nagar area. On March 20, Azharuddin and Moinuddin were granted bail in the same case. Notably, Umer and Azharuddin are in the custody of the NIA in Patna.