Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav of the Delhi High Court has been designated as the Presiding Officer of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal. His role entails overseeing the evaluation to determine whether the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) meets the criteria to be classified as an 'unlawful association' according to the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The Ministry of Law and Justice released a notification appointing Justice Kaurav to the position. Justice Kaurav began his tenure as a judge at the Delhi High Court on June 2, 2022, following his previous role as a judge in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where he was elevated to the position on October 8, 2021.

The government's decision to extend the ban on SIMI for an additional five years, announced on January 29, 2024, reaffirms its apprehensions regarding the organization's alleged involvement in activities that undermine peace and communal harmony. This action was detailed in an official government press release.

Section 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act stipulates that any prohibition imposed on an organization must receive confirmation from the UAPA Tribunal before it becomes effective.

“Bolstering PM @narendramodi Ji's vision of zero tolerance against terrorism, ‘Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)’ has been declared as an 'Unlawful Association' for a further period of five years under the UAPA. The SIMI has been found involved in fomenting terrorism, disturbing peace and communal harmony, to threaten the sovereignty, security, and integrity of Bharat,” the Home Ministry's office posted on social platform X.

Members of SIMI have been involved in several terror attacks in the country, including the Bhopal jail break in 2014, the M Chinnawamy stadium blast in Bengaluru in 2014, and the Gaya blasts in 2017. SIMI operated in states including Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and parts of Gujarat.