The government has declared the Indian Mujahideen (IM), suspected to be a shadow outfit of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba, a terrorist outfit.
The IM is allegedly involved in the serial bomb blasts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bangalore and Mumbai. It has been added to the list of terror groups under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
“An order has been issued adding the Indian Mujahideen and all its formations and front organisations to the list of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” the Home Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Under the Act, the government has banned 34 groups and declared them terror outfits.
The IM came to light after the February 23, 2005 blast in Varanasi. Its hand was suspected in the incident. In 2008, it was allegedly involved in many terror attacks.
Intelligence agencies believe that the outfit is also a front group of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HuJI). A sleeper cell of the IM was suspected to be behind the Pune blast earlier this year in which two foreign nationals and seven others were killed and 60 injured. The attack at the German Bakery in Pune was similar to the group's earlier strikes in Bangalore, Ahmedabad and New Delhi in 2008, say sources in intelligence agencies.
Some of the key members of the IM arrested after the 2008 blasts were Safdar Nagori, Mufti Abu Bashir, Qayamuddin Kapadia, Mansoor Peerbhoy and Sajid Mansuri.
