New Delhi: The governments plea against a tribunals ruling lifting the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) is to be heard by a larger bench of the Supreme Court, even as the ban is to continue, the court ruled on Monday.

Saying that the governments suit be listed before "an appropriate and larger bench", the bench of Justice S. B. Sinha and Justice Cyriac Joseph referred the matter to Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan.

The bench also said the ban on the terror outfit would continue till further orders.

The apex court had Aug 6 suspended the anti-terror tribunals ruling that had a day earlier lifted the ban on SIMI.

The government had first banned SIMI under the now-defunct Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) in September 2001 for two years.

The ban was reinforced in September 2003 for another two years, under the Prevention of the Terrorism Act (POTA) that came into existence after parliament ratified POTO.

SIMI was banned for the third time in September 2005 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act that was enacted after the UPA government repealed POTA. The ban was imposed for the fourth time in 2007.

SIMI has been blamed for a series of terror bombings in various Indian cities in which hundreds have been killed and many more maimed and injured.

Source : DNA