Parliament breach: 5 arrested, 1 at large; charged under UAPA
The Delhi Police's special cell is investigating the Parliament security breach under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Sections 120B and 452 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The fifth suspect in the breach, Vishal Sharma, who sheltered the four accused before they created a ruckus inside and outside Parliament, has been arrested from Gurugram, while a sixth suspect is still at large. Following the incident, the security protocols of the new Parliament building were overhauled.
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. They were overpowered by MPs and security personnel. Simultaneously, two others, Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde, did a similar act outside Parliament before being arrested. On the same day in 2001, 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.
How accused entered Lok Sabha, passes signed by BJP MP
All six accused are unemployed and from different states, but they have known each other for four years through social media. The police said they hatched the plan a few months ago. They got together at Vishal and his wife Rakhi's rented house in Gurugram's Sector 7. They reportedly conducted a recce of the parliament building, and Manoranjan, who hails from Karnataka's Mysuru, obtained two passes from Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Mysuru MP Pratap Simha to enter Lok Sabha.
Accused upset over farmers' protest and unemployment
The police have detained Rakhi to probe her involvement in the plan. The sixth accused, Lalit, recorded Shinde and Azad triggering smoke bombs outside Parliament and uploaded the video on Instagram. He allegedly has the mobile phones of the four prime accused. The arrested accused, all unemployed, were reportedly upset about the farmers' protest, the Manipur crisis, and unemployment. The families of the accused were reportedly unaware of their activities in Parliament.
Home Ministry orders inquiry, security protocols overhauled
The Home Ministry has ordered an inquiry into the breach. A panel led by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Anish Dayal Singh, including members from other security agencies and experts, has been formed. Security protocols in the Parliament building have been revamped to minimize contact between MPs and visitors. A dedicated media briefing center has been established, and the Lok Sabha Secretariat released instructions for MPs on Smart Identity Cards and facial recognition systems.
Who are the accused?
The police said Vishal earlier worked as a driver for an export company but lately drove an autorickshaw. Shinde, from Maharashtra's Latur, is a graduate but worked as a plumber's helper. Manoranjan is an engineer and was looking after his family's farm. Sagar from Lucknow drove an e-rickshaw, while Azad from Haryana's Jind claimed to be a student. She reportedly has postgraduate, M.Ed., and M.Phil. degrees and has cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET).
