Court sentences two SIMI members

A designated court on Monday sentenced two persons to five years' imprisonment under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for being members of the Students Islamic Movement of India.

Mohammed Yasin Patel, a US national of Indian descent, and Mohammed Afsal Jaffery were also sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of sedition.

Observing that they deserved no leniency in view of their actions, Designated Judge S N Dhingra imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on them.

As the court pronounced the sentence, Patel told the judge, "This will strengthen our mission."

The Delhi police had arrested them on May 27, 2002, while they were pasting provocative posters on the wall of the Jamia Millia Islamia University library.

The posters proclaimed 'destroy nationalism, establish Khilafat'.

The police had also found 35 similar posters in their possession.

The Union home ministry, by an order dated September 27, 2001, had declared SIMI an unlawful organisation and banned it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.

Regarding Patel, the court said, "He is an American national. All his brothers and sisters are settled in the US. He has studied in madarassas and has been working for SIMI when it was not banned and he admits that he has been lecturing wherever he was called to.

"He is a person who believes in international Islamic order and wants to destroy nationalism of the people here. He, instead of working in the USA for his aim, of which country he is a citizen, has chosen India as his workshop.

"I consider that a person who chooses to become an American national and works for destruction of other countries does not deserve leniency."

On Jaffery, the court said, "Despite being Indian, having been born and brought up in India and having liberties and freedom of this nation, he has been out to pollute the atmosphere of this country by bringing hatred between communities by propagating destruction of Indian nationals and bringing an international Islamic order in India.

"He, along with Patel, has been lecturing, pasting posters even earlier also. I consider that he also does not deserve leniency."