Indore, Mar 28: Thirteen top leaders of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who were arrested on Thursday, had come to the city to finalise training programme of its cadres, police said on Friday.

"SIMI activists, under the leadership of former Chief Safdar Nagori, had arrived in the city for the organisation's annual meeting. From the preliminary inquiry, it seems they finalised training programme to its members during the meet," Indore Range IG Anil Kumar said Thursday night.

The leaders were residing in Indore for more than a month, Kumar said, adding that the police have recovered news clippings from them relating to the Mumbai train blasts, which raises the role of SIMI in the case.

Not ruling out their links with international terrorist organisations and the underworld, he said police now, as per the evidences available, was trying to expose their local network.

He also said that more arrests were expected from Indore and its adjoining areas in the next few days.

The outfit's top leaders were arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police for allegedly being involved in weapons procurement and illegal financing of the outfit.

Among those arrested as part of a special police operation that began Wednesday night were SIMI leader in Madhya Pradesh, Safdar Nagori and his brother and chief of the operations in Andhra Pradesh Kamruddin.

14 days police custody for SIMI leaders

Top leaders of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), arrested from Indore and this neighbouring district, were remanded in police custody till April 11 by a court in Dhar on Friday. Tight security arrangements were made as they were produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) SS Thakur, who passed the remand order.