Parliament security breach: Delhi court extends till Jan 5 police custody of four accused

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday extended till January 5 the police custody of four accused persons arrested in connection with the Parliament security breach case.

The accused individuals -- Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D., Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde -- were produced before the Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Courts.

The court extended their custody on an application moved by police.

The four accused were produced before court on expiry of their previously granted seven-day police custody after they were arrested on December 13.

After a Delhi court sent the alleged mastermind, Lalit Jha, to seven-day police custody on December 15, the sixth accused, Mahesh Kumawat, was also sent to police custody the next day.

Delhi Police have registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the accused and are investigating the security lapse issue, too.

The prosecution had labelled the arrested individuals as terrorists, asserting that they orchestrated a well-planned attack on Parliament with the intention of inciting fear.

The police had informed the court that they have included Sections 16 (terrorism) and 18 (conspiracy for terrorism) of the UAPA Act in the charges against the accused.

The police had said that individuals exceeded their rights by jumping from the gallery into the seating area of the MPs, constituting trespass.

Furthermore, the police claimed that the accused concealed a canister in their shoes and stressed on the need for their custody to determine their actual motive and identify any other individuals involved.

“Special shoes made in Lucknow, which needs to be probed. They need to be taken to Mumbai, Mysore, Lucknow for the probe,” police told the court.

The court appointed legal aid counsel for the accused individuals after they stated that they did not have their own lawyers. In response, the defence counsel opposed the police's application, suggesting that a few days would be sufficient for the investigation.

Police further submitted that the accused carried pamphlets that showed and declared Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a missing person with a caption that the person who finds him will be paid money from a Swiss Bank.

"The accused persons portrayed the PM like a proclaimed offender," police said.

The case revolves around a major security breach on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, where individuals jumped into the Lok Sabha hall, released yellow gas, and shouted slogans before being subdued by MPs.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has also ordered an enquiry into the breach under the leadership of DG CRPF Anish Dayal Singh along with other members from security agencies and experts.