Thursday, July 27 2006 18:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: Three youngsters, suspected to be associated with the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), have been taken into police custody in connection with the July 11 terror attack and handed over to the Mumbai police, Madhya Pradesh officials said Thursday.

"The Mumbai police Wednesday took three suspected SIMI activists, Sajjad Baig alias Baba, Karim and Hamid Bhai, from Khandwa in connection with the Mumbai bomb blasts," Khandwa Police Superintendent D. Parashar told sources by phone.

"The Mumbai police's special cell sub-inspector Keshav Shegde had arrived here in this connection and took the three for interrogation. They are not accused and have not been arrested but the Mumbai Police feels they could have information on the blasts", he said.

"The Mumbai police was informed that a party was held at a Khandwa hotel after the blasts and Hamid, Sajjad and Karim participated in it. Sajjad is an employee at PWD (public works department) in Khandwa and also runs a public phone booth. Police would interrogate them about participant at the party," a police source said.

Meanwhile, based on arrested SIMI activist Imran Ansari's confession, the police have arrested Mohammed Aqeel and Mohammed Shafi from Ujjain.

Imran was arrested in Bhopal Tuesday and handed over to Khandwa police for interrogation.

"Imran was editor of SIMI magazine Tehrik-e-Millat. Gujarat court had issued an arrest warrant against Imran as he was absconding since 2001. He had organised a convention of SIMI in Surat, despite the ban on the organisation," said Inspector General of Police (Bhopal Range) Sanjeev Kumar Singh.

"Imran, a mechanical engineer, was given the responsibility of strengthening the SIMI in south India. He had reached Bhopal a few days ago from Chennai and was likely to go to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, considered a major SIMI hub," the police official said.

"Apprehended in Aishbagh area of Bhopal, Imran has confessed to publishing the SIMI mouthpiece and being in constant touch with national-level SIMI leaders," Singh added.

Police had tightened the noose around SIMI after Mumbai blasts, rounding up nearly a dozen of its suspected activists from Bhopal, Indore, Khandwa, Burhanpur and Ujjain districts.