Today, On 14th July, The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea challenging the tribunal’s decision to extend the ban on SIMI, upholding the 5-year prohibition imposed by the Centre under UAPA based on continued threats to national security and public order.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a petition challenging the decision of a judicial tribunal that upheld the five-year extension of the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed the petition against the tribunal’s order dated July 24, 2024.
The tribunal was established under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following the Centre’s decision on January 29, 2024, to prolong the ban on SIMI for another five years.
SIMI was first declared illegal in 2001 during the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the ban has since been renewed periodically.
Founded on April 25, 1977, at Aligarh Muslim University, SIMI started as a front organization for youth and students aligned with Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind (JEIH).
However, the organization declared its independence in 1993 through a formal resolution.
The Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a radical student organization founded in 1977 at Aligarh Muslim University, was first declared an unlawful association in September 2001 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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The Central Government cited alleged anti-national activities, including promoting religious extremism and supporting militant ideologies, as reasons for the initial ban.
SIMI, first banned in September 2001, has seen its prohibition extended repeatedly by the government. The organization, which underwent a split in 2005, has been a significant concern for central intelligence agencies. The split resulted in a moderate faction led by Shahid Badr Falahi and a more radical group under Safdar Nagori.
Case Title: HUMAM AHMAD SIDDIQUI Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ANR., Diary No. 24110-2025