In a written reply tabled on the floor of the House to a query from Congress member Umesh Patel, the minister said, "Sixteen members of banned SIMI outfit were arrested in 2013-14 (till January 20) in Chhattisgarh."
As per the reply, all members of the banned outfit were nabbed from the capital Raipur and were booked under provisions of Unlawful Activities Act, Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act.
Those arrested were identified as - Umer Siddhiqui (35), Abdul Wahid (55), Abdul Aziz (45), Moinuddin (37), Azizullah (38), Roshan alias Javed (32), Hayat Khan (45), Sheikh Habibullah (33), Md Dawood (40), Mohammed Aslam (38), Sheikh Subhan Ushman (50), Ajharuddin Kureshi (19), Mohammed Syed (54), Ammar Bin Wahid (19), Salim (43) and Sher Ali (20).
However, National Investigation Agency (NIA) later got the remand of Umer Siddhiqui and Abdul Wahi in connection with Bodhgaya blasts and Patna blasts in Bihar, it said.