New Delhi, Nov 11: A Delhi court today acquitted the all India president of banned Simi, Shahid Badar in a sedition case relating to the recovery of a calendar wrongly depicting India's boundaries, allegedly brought out by the outfit. The alleged incident dates back to February 2000, when the Union Home Ministry received a calendar wrongly depicting the country's northern boundaries. The said calendar also carried Simi's name on it.

During investigation, police noted that Badar had delivered a speech at the Batala house in August 2001, wherein he allegedly advocated Kashmir's secession from India.

Later, when Simi was banned following a central notification in September 2001, police booked Badr as accused in the case. Following this, the court framed sedition charges against him under Section 124 A.

During trial, Badr's lawyers pointed out that he had become President of the outfit only in March 2000, whereas the calendars were recovered a month before in February 2000 and that he could not be held liable.

Bureau Report