Key conspirator in Parliament security breach surrenders
The alleged mastermind of the Parliament security breach surrendered to the police on Thursday. The accused, Lalit Jha, turned himself in at Kartavya Path Police Station along with another suspect, Mahesh Kumawat. He reportedly recorded the dramatic protest outside Parliament and posted it on social media while forwarding it to another associate in Kolkata who runs a non-profit organization. Jha hails from Bihar and worked as a teacher in Kolkata.
Why does this story matter?
Two individuals, Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma, jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery on Wednesday, setting off yellow smoke bombs and shouting slogans. Simultaneously, two others, Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde, carried out a similar act outside Parliament before being arrested. It came on the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament attack when five armed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists infiltrated the Parliament complex and killed eight security personnel and a gardener before being shot down.
Jha fled to Rajasthan after incident
Jha claimed to have fled to Rajasthan's Nagaur via Neemrana on a bus after the incident. He stayed at a hotel there with two friends but returned after realizing that the police were looking for him. Kumawat was also supposed to join the demonstration outside Parliament but chose to back out. The fifth suspect in the breach, Vishal Sharma, who sheltered the accused, was held earlier. All six have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), among others.
Jha's role and connection to Kolkata student
Jha reportedly played a leading role in the group responsible for the breach. Before executing their plan, all members, including Manoranjan, Sharma, Neelam Azad, and Amol Shinde, handed over their cell phones to Jha. Police have traced Jha's connections to Nilaksha Aich, a second-year student from Kolkata's Bidhannagar Government College who ran an NGO called Sammobadi Subhas Sabha, where Jha briefly served as secretary. They allegedly came close after meeting at a People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) event.
Influences and communication methods
Jha was allegedly inspired by YouTubers critical of the Narendra Modi government and urged his group to use Signal, a secure messaging app alternative to WhatsApp. He also guided the group, which admired figures like Bhagat Singh and Che Guevara. Authorities found the instructions Jha gave to his associates on a social media website, where he directed his associates to hold the smoke bombs in their hands instead of throwing them to demonstrate they were harmless.
