Lucknow, July 18: The chief minister has given it a clean chit. But this one is literally a blast from the past.

Accused of playing a role in the Mumbai train explosions, the Students’ Islamic Movement of India was dealt a blow today when a court sentenced Mohammad Maroof, an active cadre, to life imprisonment for his involvement in the Sabarmati Express blast in August 2000.

Maroof’s involvement came to light following confessions by Mohammad Khaliq, another accused in the case. Arrested from his house in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Maroof later admitted his role in the Independence Day-eve blast near Faizabad that killed 11 people travelling by the Ahmedabad-bound train and injured 36.

Police said both were members of Simi’s Aligarh unit and that Maroof had told them during interrogation that neglect of Muslims in the country had provoked him into joining the jihad. And train blasts were just one way of carrying on the war for justice for the community.

Two other accused in the case ? Mohammad Abdul Mobin and Mohammad Aquel ? have appealed against the trial and their case is pending in another court.

The judgment in the case has come at a time Mulayam Singh Yadav, the chief minister of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, has been criticised for his clean chit to the banned outfit.

Mulayam had said he did not think Simi, accused of helping the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba carry out Tuesday’s blasts that killed over 180 people, was involved in any anti-national activity.

The chief minister later denied he had given Simi a clean chit. But his government’s efforts to deny that it is shielding the group are proving tough as it has filed a petition in a Bahraich court to withdraw cases against Simi president Shahid Badra Falahi and 11 others in a case of sedition.

The government’s move has, however, run into resistance from a group of lawyers. “It is an attempt to get political mileage on the eve of the polls,” said Bhagwan Baux Singh.