NIA Court Sentences Vagamon SIMI Training Camp Accused to Seven Years in Prison

A special court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases has sentenced Abdul Subhan Qureshi to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2007 Vagamon training camp case involving the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

Judge Hafees Mohammed imposed the sentence on Qureshi, a resident of East Thane in Maharashtra, under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The court awarded one year of rigorous imprisonment under Section 10(a) of the UAPA, five years each under Sections 20 and 38 of the Act, and seven years each under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act and Section 120B of the IPC.

It directed that all substantive sentences run concurrently and allowed the period already spent in custody to be set off against the sentence. The court also imposed fines of Rs 25,000 each under Section 10(a) of the UAPA, Section 20 of the Act and Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.

Qureshi was arrested on May 7, 2018, and his case was separated from the trial of other accused. He pleaded guilty on October 1, 2026, and the court accepted the plea as voluntary.

According to the prosecution, 38 accused had conspired to organise training camps for SIMI cadres. As part of the alleged conspiracy, a camp was held at Thangalpara in Vagamon, Kerala, from December 10 to 12, 2007.

The prosecution alleged that participants received training in firing, bomb-making and handling explosives. Activities such as motorbike racing and rock climbing were also conducted, while classes on jihad were allegedly held at the camp.

The court ordered the case against another accused, Wasiq Billa of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, who remains absconding, to be split and refiled separately.

Eighteen other accused were sentenced in May 2018 in connection with the case.