The security breach at Parliament on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack was carefully coordinated and extensively planned over several months by a group of six individuals, Delhi police said on Thursday. Pandemonium erupted in Parliament, with MPs panicking after the accused jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery and opened canisters that emitted a yellow-coloured smoke.
Five of the accused are currently in police custody. In a statement to the police during interrogation, the suspects said the breach was intended to draw the government’s attention to several issues, including unemployment, farmers’ protests, and Manipur violence.
Previously, there were reports of four individuals facing accusations of forcefully entering the Lok Sabha, resulting in a significant security breach. The names of the accused are Manoranjan, Neelam, Sagar Sharma, and Amol Shinde.
How the incident took place:
While the Lok Sabha was in the midst of a Zero Hour session, a dramatic incident unfolded as Sagar Sharma leaped from the visitors’ gallery into the chamber. Activating a yellow smoke canister, he created a spectacle by navigating from desk to desk in a bold attempt to reach the Lok Sabha Speaker’s Chair.
Sagar Sharma, accompanied by Manoranjan D, made a daring entry by leaping from the visitor’s gallery into the chambers while carrying gas canisters. Before being apprehended by MPs within the House, the duo successfully released yellow gas, sparking panic among the parliamentarians.
Simultaneously, a separate incident unfolded outside the Parliament premises, where two protesters, identified as Amol and Neelam, demonstrated with cans emitting yellow smoke. This occurred concurrently with the events inside the Lok Sabha chambers.
The four intruders were successfully apprehended, and another individual named Vickey was taken into custody. However, one suspect, identified as Lalit Jha, is presently evading authorities, leading to an intensified search.
The four individuals in custody were formally charged under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. In response to the significant security breach at Parliament on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha secretariat suspended eight security personnel. As the Winter Session of Parliament resumed this morning, heightened security measures were implemented. Chaos unfolded in both Houses as Opposition leaders pressed for a discussion on the security breach.
Delhi Police sources have conveyed that investigative teams are actively pursuing the sixth accused. Sources indicate that security agencies are diligently examining whether the six accused received instructions from any individual or organisation to breach Parliament security.
Insiders suggest that all five individuals who came from locations outside Delhi were residing at the residence of Lalit Jha in Gurugram. While the identities of the first five have been established, the sixth person remains unknown.
Here is the information available about the intruders:
Sagar Sharma, son of Shankarlal Sharma, gained access to the visitor’s gallery as a guest of Mysuru Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha.
Manoranjan D, 35, resides in Mysore, Karnataka. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from Vivekanand University in Bengaluru.
Neelam stays in a PG in Haryana’s Hisar and had completed an M.Phil research program and successfully cleared central examinations necessary for securing a teaching job. As per reports, she is preparing for the Haryana civil services exam.
Amol Shinde hails from Latur in Maharashtra.
How can one get visitor’s pass for Parliament?
The process for issuing Parliament visitor passes typically begins with individuals submitting a request in the name of the Member of Parliament representing their constituency. Generally, the MPs to whom the passes are issued conduct security checks to grant access to visitors, verifying the identity cards provided.
Subsequently, visitors undergo rigorous security screenings conducted by guards and electronic machines positioned at the Parliament entrance. In the case of the intruder Sagar Sharma, who obtained a visitor’s pass using the name of BJP MP Pratap Simha, authorities are currently investigating how both individuals gained entry into the Parliament premises, complete with coloured smoke.
In this case, BJP MP Pratap Simha informed the Lok Sabha Speaker that he did not have any information about the intruders for whom he had issued the passes. When a Parliament member issues such a pass to individuals, they are required to provide an undertaking that they know the person. Pratap Simha has faced criticism after the recovered visitors’ pass from the intruders displayed his name. While he has not stated his connection with the two intruders, he informed the Lok Sabha Speaker that the father of one of them belonged to his constituency and had requested a visitor’s pass.
The investigation is still underway.
