Continuing its crackdown on the banned Students Islamic Movement of India, the Delhi police have arrested one of its top leaders.

Noman Badar alias Falahi, 30, chief editor of an Urdu magazine published by SIMI and an authorised signatory to operate the organisation's bank accounts, was arrested by the Special Cell, the police said without giving the date of the development.

A native of Haldwani in Uttaranchal, Badar had been evading arrest since November 2001 when the organisation was banned and its top leaders arrested, they said.

Badar disclosed during interrogation that he had acquired primary education from the Jamait-ul-Falahi in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and completed graduation and post-graduation in Arabic studies from the Aligarh Muslim University, the police said.

Subsequently, he enrolled himself as Ph D scholar in AMU and simultaneously became chief editor of the Islamic Movement, they said.

The magazine allegedly published several inflammatory articles, the police said.