Eight activists including a woman suspected to be members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India were arrested from Jabalpur, Indore and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, police said.
"Sheikh Sarfaraz, Mohammad Shafiq, Mohammad Younus, Gyasuddin and Nasir Ahmed were apprehended from Jabalpur following information about them provided by 13 arrested top SIMI leaders in Indore during interrogation," Jabalpur Suprintendent of Police Makrand Deoskar told reporters.
Police said they have recovered objectionable literature and letters from their possession, which indicate they were involved in the activities of SIMI and were in contact with the arrested leaders.
Police also found evidence from them relating to a meeting conducted by SIMI activists based in Delhi in Jabalpur sometime back with an intention to help their associates lodged in Jabalpur jail for carrying out the activities of the banned organisation, he said.
Besides, three suspected SIMI activists, including a woman were arrested for renting their premises to the group's leaders in Indore and Khargone and for not providing information about the rented house to the police, which is mandatory as per the law.
The house which was rented to them by one Gaffar Khan Bakerywale was registered in the name of his daughter-in-law Shahnaz Bi.
Police arrested both Gaffar and Shahnaz and are interrogating them.
In Khargone, the person who had provided his farmhouse to SIMI for carrying out its training activities and from where large number of explosives were recovered on April 2, was arrested, they said.
Shahzad Hussein hailing from Mhow town of Indore was arrested on charges of indulging in illegal activities and helping anti-national elements, they said.
The proscribed outfit had organised five training camps for its activists at Hussein's farm house, which was surrounded by mountains from all sides, police sources said.
