Delhi Police arrest SIMI member absconding for more than 19 years in sedition case

Delhi Police on Saturday arrested an alleged member of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who had been absconding for more than 19 years in a case of sedition and unlawful activity, an officer said.

The accused, arrested from Delhi's Zakir Nagar, has been identified as Abdullah Danish, 58, who hails from Mau district in Uttar Pradesh and has been residing in Aligarh.

Danish is the senior most cadre of SIMI who indoctrinated many innocent Muslim youths in the last 25 years, police said.

"Arrested Danish was absconding for more than 19 years in a case of sedition and unlawful activity registered in the year 2001 at New Friends Colony police station in Delhi. He was also declared a proclaimed offender in said case in the year 2002 by the trial court," news agency PTI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah.

After tracing his whereabouts for long, the officer said that the Special Cell had information about Danish's movement in several cities of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and other neighbouring states.

The accused also mobilise Muslim youths against National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and inciting radical ideology to disrupt harmony, officer said.

"As per information, Danish was indulging in radicalising Muslim youths to mobilise against NRC and CAA and propagating hardcore radical ideology to create disharmony among religious groups. He was falsely propagating atrocities being committed upon Muslims by Govt. of India by using fake videos," PTI quoted the police officer.

In 2001, a case was registered against Danish when the government had banned SIMI. In a subsequent raid at its headquarters in Zakir Nagar, many SIMI activists were arrested, but Danish along with some other members managed to escape, reported PTI.

"Danish was also given a room in SIMI headquarters in Zakir Nagar. After escaping from Delhi, he first went to Aligarh and then to Azamgarh. Through Danish, dreaded terrorist Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer was introduced to another Terrorist Abu Bashar and he motivated them to do something drastic against the government. They later executed a series of blasts with the help of their other associates in Ahmedabad in 2008," the cop added.

(With PTI inputs)