Bhopal, Mar 1 (IANS): A special court here on Thursday awarded life sentence to five activists of banned extremist outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for illegally possessing explosives.

Justice Girish Dixit of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court handed down the sentence.

Madhya Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested three persons in January 2013 after a raid in Mahidpur of Ujjain district and a huge quantity of explosives was recovered from them, sources said.

In all, 12 people were named in the case, out of whom two -- Khalid Ahmed and Abdul Majid -- were killed in an encounter with the police in October 2016, the sources added.

Assistant Prosecuting Officer Yogesh Tiwari said: "The special court of Justice Girish Dixit has awarded life term to SIMI activists Abdul Aziz, Zbdul Wahid, Javed Nagauri, Zuber and Mohd Adil."

All convicts were also imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 each.

Five other accused in the case were acquitted for want of evidence, Tiwari added said.