Surat – In a major legal development, a court in Surat has acquitted 127 individuals who were accused of being associated with the banned organization Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) after nearly 20 years of legal proceedings, reported the Times of India.
The verdict was delivered on Saturday, bringing an end to a prolonged trial that began in the early 2000s. Among those acquitted, five had passed away during the course of the trial. The case had cast a long shadow over the lives of the accused, many of whom maintained their innocence throughout.
Legal experts and rights activists have welcomed the court’s decision, calling it a long-overdue act of justice. The judgment also raises questions about the delay in the legal process and the impact such extended trials have on individuals and their families.
