As many as six people were allegedly involved in Wednesday’s (December 13) security breach at the Indian Parliament, multiple reports said. Two men who caused ruckus inside the well of the lower house (Lok Sabha), two outside Parliament near Transport Bhavan and two others, one of whom is absconding but allegedly gave shelter to the four and hatched a plan.
Sagar Sharma, son of Shankarlal Sharma, and Manoranjan D., a resident of Mysore, Karnataka, were identified as the main culprits who scaled the fence of the public gallery and jumped between the legislators before setting off yellow smoke bombs.
Sharma jumped in first before 35-year-old Manoranjan joined him and created chaos. According to the original police version and witnesses, they had canisters hidden in their shoes.
The duo was heard chanting slogans stating “tanashahi nahi chalegi” (dictatorship will not be accepted). Notably, Manoranjan is an engineering graduate who completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Vivekanand University, Bengaluru.
Both were issued a visitor’s pass in the name of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker from the south Indian constituency of Mysuru Pratap Simha.
Apart from Parliament, the police also detained two protesters, a man and a woman, outside Transport Bhawan where they were protesting the use of colored smoke.
According to the Delhi Police, the woman has been identified as Neelam, hailing from Hisar, Haryana, while the man is Amol Shinde, a resident of Latur district in the western state of Maharashtra.
Neelam was staying for PG in Hisar and was preparing for the exam in Haryana. Some unsubstantiated reports claimed that she was also involved in the farmer’s protest.
They all arrived in the capital after staying together in Gurugram at the residence of a person identified as Lalit Jha, who is on the run. The sixth person remains unidentified and is also on the run.
MHA orders a probe
The Union Home Ministry took to its official X on Wednesday and informed about the ordered probe into the security breach.
It will be headed by Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Anish Dayal Singh.
“On the request of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the MHA has ordered an inquiry into the incident of breaching the security of Parliament. An Inquiry Committee has been constituted under Shri Anish Dayal Singh, DG, CRPF, with members from other security agencies and experts,” MHA posted on X.
Five of the six suspects have been arrested, with one on the run.
Those who are arrested are being interrogated by the Anti-Terrorist Cell of the Delhi Police.
The incident happened on the same day as the 2001 attack on Parliament, when terrorists besieged the landmark building, killing 14 people and injuring 16.
At the start of the session last week, security around the parliamentary complex was beefed up. Moreover, threats by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu to attack Parliament have already put security forces on high alert. Still, the group managed to infiltrate one of the most secure institutions in the country.
