Based on inputs from surveillance teams, the Chhattisgarh police have arrested many suspected operatives of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India.
According to Director-General of Police (DGP) Ram Niwas, surveillance inputs suggested that the alleged SIMI members were hatching a plan to sabotage meetings of Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and other important leaders.
Among those arrested so far are Sheikh Azijullah, Mohinuddin Qureishi, Abdul Wahid Khan, Umer Siddqui, Sheikh Habibullah, Roshan Sheikh and Raju Mistry.
Mr. Niwas said some telephone numbers were kept under surveillance over a period of time, recorded conversations analysed and suspected persons tracked. Mr. Niwas said the men were observed travelling secretly to many locations around the city.
From a series of telephone conversations, the team discovered that the SIMI activists were discussing Mr. Modi’s scheduled rally locations. “They spoke in Arabic in the telephone conversation […] and we confiscated [a] few letters which were sent to other [intelligence] agencies [to confirm their association with SIMI],” Mr. Niwas said.
