Nine Muslims find not guilty by a local court in SIMI case

Nine Muslim men, including two facing trial in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, were acquitted by a local Kurla court for lack of evidence.

The two Tanveer Ansari and Ehtesham Siddiqui facing trial were accused of being members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and of other anti-national activities.

The order was passed on Thursday by the metropolitan magistrate court in Kurla. The allegation against the accused were levelled in 2001. They got bail in 2003.

Among those exonerated were Unani medicine practitioner Tanveer Ansari, one of the main accused and Ehtesham Siddiqui, who are facing trial in the 7/11 blasts case.

The nine Muslims were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act when they were allegedly found to be in possession of provocative material and CDs with rabble-rousing speeches.

Sharif Sheikh, Counsel for the accused, appeared on behalf of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra argued before the court that the men were linked with the outfit before it was banned.