http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/07ban.htm
Centre extends ban on Deendar Anjuman
Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad | July 07, 2005 18:07 IST
The Central government has extended the ban on Deendar Anjuman, a
fundamentalist religious organisation responsible for a series of
blasts in places of worship in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa in
2000, for a further two years.
The organisation was declared "unlawful" by the government? in 2001
after its links with Pakistan were established. The organisation was
accused of indulging in communal and anti-national activities, which
were detrimental to peace and communal harmony.
According to an official release, the Central government was of the
opinion that "if the unlawful activities of Deendar Anjuman are not
curbed and controlled, the association will try to create tension among
various communities with a view to disturb the social fabric of the
country."
Deendar Anjuman is accused of causing explosions in nine churches, a
temple and a mosque. This sectarian group is also charged with engaging
in distribution of objectionable anti-Christian literature and
pamphlets and indulging in espionage activities.
The AP police had filed 14 criminal cases against 50 Deendar Anjuman
activists in connection with serial blasts carried out at places of
worship at Machilipatnam,? Vijayawada, Medak, Vikarabad,
Tadepalligudem, Ongole and Guntur with a view to create communal
tension. The accused were arrested in July 2000. While seven of the
accused, who were Pakistani nationals, were at large, three accused
died.
A special court trying the serial bomb blasts sentenced 39 activists of
the outlawed outfit to six-months imprisonment for criminal conspiracy
in November 2004. Five of the 39 accused were also sentenced to undergo
four years' rigorous imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 1,000 each under
section 5 of the Explosives Substances Act for possessing explosive
substances. Both punishments ran concurrently.
The outfit's present religious head Zia-ul-Hassan, based at Mardan in
Pakistan, developed contacts with the Inter Services Intelligence and
organised?sabotage activities in south India. He had plans to create
communal flare-ups in India.
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Regards,
Carlos
