Parliament security breach: 4 accused charged under stringent anti-terror law; hunt on to nab key man

Security tightened in and around building

Sagar Sharma,Neelam Devi,Amol Shinde and Manoranjan D

PTI, December 14, 2023, New Delhi : Four persons arrested in connection with the security breach in Parliament have been charged under anti-terror law UAPA besides sections of Indian Penal Code, even as raids are being conducted at several places to nab Lalit Jha, suspected to be the key conspirator, police sources said on Thursday.

    

Offences punishable under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are non-bailable. An official said the security agencies have not found connections with any terror group so far.

    

The sources said the role of two more persons has also surfaced during investigation, adding all the accused did everything as part of their foolproof plan.

    

Vishal Sharma alias Vickey, in whose house the accused stayed in Gurugram before reaching Parliament, is still under detention.

    

The medical examinations of all the four arrested -- Sagar Sharma (26), Manoranjan D (34), Amol Shinde (25) and Neelam Devi (37) -- were conducted midnight by a team of doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

    

A case was registered under UAPA sections 16 (punishment for terrorist act) and 18 (punishment for conspiracy, etc.) and IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) at the Parliament Street police station, police sources said.

    

All the four accused were interrogated at Diplomatic Security Force's office located at Chanakyapuri. Initially, Neelam and Amol were taken to Parliament Street Police station and later, they were shifted to the DSF office.

 

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on Wednesday, Sagar and Manoranjan jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released coloured smoke from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by some MPs.

    

Around the same time, Amol and Neelam sprayed coloured smoke from canisters while shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi" outside Parliament premises.

    

Names of two organisations have also emerged in the investigation of the Special Cell and their roles are being examined, a senior official said, adding all the accused are giving same answers to the investigation team.

    

"It seems that they had already made preparations as to what to answer when the police interrogate them when they are caught," the official said.

    

Earlier in the day, eight security personnel were suspended for Wednesday's incident.

    

Meanwhile, Delhi Police is conducting raids to the nab Lalit, who is a teacher by profession and is believed to be the main conspirator of the security breach, officials said.

    

Influenced by revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Lalit, a resident of Kolkata, and others were highly motivated to commit an act which could draw the country's attention.

   

According to an official privy to the probe, all six joined a Bhagat Singh fan page on Facebook after coming in touch with each other on social media.

    

Lalit, Sagar and Maoranjan had about a year ago met in Mysuru where they made a plan to barge into the Parliament. They later added Neelam and Amol into the plan.

   

Lalit took the lead and instructed Manoranjan to do a recce of all entry points of the Parliament during the Monsoon Session, the official said.

   

"In July, Manoranjan came to Delhi and went inside Parliament on a visitor pass issued on the name of an MP. There, he got to know that the frisking of shoes does not happen," the official said.

    

On Wednesday, Lalit came with the four others to Parliament. When they got only two passes of them, Lalit decided to take the mobile phones of all four - Sagar, Manoranjan, Neelam and Amol - with him.

    

The colour canisters, which were sprayed inside and outside the Parliament complex, were brought by Amol from Kalyan, Maharashtra.

    

Lalit's last location was traced in Neemrana on the Rajasthan-Haryana border. Police had earlier said that all five had gathered on December 10 and stayed at Vishal Sharma's residence in Gurugram.

  

Police sources on Wednesday said the security breach was well-coordinated and meticulously planned.

    

Police officials said that during interrogation, Amol told investigators they were upset with issues like the farmers' protest, Manipur crisis and unemployment and that was why they carried out this act.

    

"They had the same ideology and hence decided to give a message to the government," an official said.

    

The eight security personnel suspended for the security breach belong to various agencies who were on deputation for Parliament security. Sources identified them as Rampal, Arvind, Vir Das, Ganesh, Anil, Pradeep, Vimitt and Narendra.

     

"Though they are on deputation for Parliament security, their cadre controlling authority is the organisation they represent and not the Lok Sabha Secretariat," a functionary said.

    

Personnel from the Delhi Police and CRPF are deployed to frisk those entering the complex as well as the building.

Meanwhile, a day after the Parliament security breach, stringent measures were put in place in and around the building on Thursday, with police and the Parliament security staff thoroughly checking the credentials of those entering the complex.

Security personnel deployed outside the Transport Bhavan, metres away from the Parliament complex, did not allow anyone to go beyond the barricades they had put up before checking their identity cards and entry passes.

Security personnel deployed near the Krishi Bhavan, which houses the agriculture ministry and other government departments, stopped bikers and let them leave only after checking their credentials.