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regular-article-logo Saturday, 23 November 2024

Five accused charged under UAPA, names of two ‘organisations’ emerge in investigation

A special court in Delhi sent D. Manoranjan, Neelam Azad, Sagar Sharma and Amol Shinde — all arrested in connection with the security breach — to seven days’ police custody. Late on Thursday, the police arrested a fifth suspect — Lalit Jha

Imran Ahmed Siddiqui New Delhi Published 15.12.23, 05:21 AM
Police sources said the four accused were being interrogated at the office of the Diplomatic Security Force, a wing of Delhi police.

Police sources said the four accused were being interrogated at the office of the Diplomatic Security Force, a wing of Delhi police. File Photo.

The names of two “organisations” but no terror groups have emerged in investigations into the Parliament security breach, police sources said on Thursday.

A special court in Delhi sent D. Manoranjan, Neelam Azad, Sagar Sharma and Amol Shinde — all arrested in connection with the security breach — to seven days’ police custody. Late on Thursday, the police arrested a fifth suspect — Lalit Jha.

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Earlier in the day, the Lok Sabha secretariat suspended eight security personnel.

The five accused have been booked under the anti-terror law UAPA as well as IPC sections relating to criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity. “The names of two organisations have emerged... and their roles are being examined,” a police officer said, without naming the organisations.

The officer said the accused were giving identical answers during the interrogation.

Police sources said the investigators had so far not found any connection between the suspects and any terror group.

Manoranjan and Sagar are accused of jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber. Neelam and Amol allegedly sprayed coloured gas from canisters outside Parliament.

Police sources said the four accused were being interrogated at the office of the Diplomatic Security Force, a wing of Delhi police.

Lalit, a Calcutta resident and teacher who is suspected to be the mastermind, was arrested in New Delhi late on Thursday night.

“Lalit and his four accomplices were influenced by Shaheed Bhagat Singh and were highly motivated to commit an act that could draw the country’s attention,” the officer said.

“They had joined a Bhagat Singh fan page on Facebook after becoming friends on social media.”

All five — including Lalit — had arrived in Delhi on Sunday and put up at the home of Vishal Sharma in Gurgaon, police sources said. Vishal has been detained.

A probe has revealed that Lalit, Sagar, Manoranjan, Neelam and Amol had met in Mysore about a year and a half ago and hatched a plan to barge into Parliament.

“Lalit was the brain. He directed Manoranjan to do a recce of all the entry points into Parliament during the monsoon session in July,” an officer who is privy to the investigation said.

Manoranjan did a recce of Parliament, entering the House with a visitor’s pass issued by an MP in July, he said.

On Wednesday, Lalit and the four others arrived together at Parliament, but they had passes for only two.

“Sagar and Manoranjan went inside, while Neelam and Amol stayed outside.”

The police said Amol had brought the smoke canisters, used inside and outside Parliament, from Maharashtra.

They added that Lalit shot videos of Neelam and Amol as they sprayed coloured gas from their canisters outside Parliament, and later posted them on social media.

Sources in the Lok Sabha identified eight suspended security personnel as Rampal, Arvind, Vir Das, Ganesh, Anil, Pradeep, Vimitt and Narendra.

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