Kerala fertile land for SIMI activities

But police lapses led to key people of the organisation getting away right under their nose.

The major instance is that of the arrest of 18 activists of SIMI from Binanipuram near Aluva on August 2005 while they were holding a meeting at a local auditorium there.

Those who had been taken into custody included Shaduli, the wanted leader of SIMI. Though 18 persons were taken into custody, as per records, only five of them were arrested.

The arrest was registered by Binanipuram Police under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (Crime Number 159/2006). Certain literature enumerating SIMI’s activities in India, and pamphlets and books printed had also been seized from them.

One of the two Malayalis arrested by the Karnataka police the other day in connection with Bangalore blasts was an activist arrested by Binanipuram police, it is learnt.

If the officers concerned had taken a tough stand, the recent serial blasts could have been averted. The arrested five included Shaduli, Abdul Rassaque and Shemi alias Shamas of Eerattupetta, Kottayam, and Ansar and Nizamuddin of Aluva. No case was charged against the remaining 13.

They were produced before the Paravoor court and released on bail. The then Aluva Rural SP allegedly took a soft stand towards these people which helped them escape from the Kerala police net.

It is learnt that one of them who was taken in custody then is now working with a private firm in Thrissur while another went abroad. In view of the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, the police are in search of the guy who is working in Thrissur. The police have no idea about others.

Another person, K P Nissar, who is nabbed by the Karnataka police, was serving the Kerala police earlier. He was in-charge of Bell of Arms (the room where the weapons are kept) at KAP camp in Thrissur.