New Delhi, Dec 14: Police have filed terrorism charges against four people arrested after two of them jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber and set off smoke canisters in a major security breach inside Parliament that also led to the suspension of eight Delhi Police personnel.
As more details emerged on what Delhi police said on Thursday was a “well planned attack on Parliament” a day earlier, police sources said raids are being conducted at several places in the hunt for Lalit Jha, suspected to be the key conspirator.
Police on Wednesday had said that six people, five of whom have been nabbed, were involved in the sensational incident that coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the terror attack on Parliament that left nine people dead. Vishal Sharma alias Vickey, in whose house the accused stayed in Gurugram before reaching Parliament, is still under detention.
The sources said the role of two more persons has also surfaced during investigations, adding all the accused did everything as part of their foolproof plan.
The four arrested persons– Sagar Sharma (26), Manoranjan D (34), Amol Shinde (25) and Neelam Devi (37) — were charged under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA besides sections of the Indian Penal Code(IPC). Offences punishable under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act(UAPA) are non-bailable.
A Delhi court sent the four arrested people to the city police’s custody for seven days for interrogation after they were produced before Special Judge for NIA cases Hardeep Kaur. The police had sought their custodial interrogation for 15 days.
During hearing of arguments, the Delhi police accused the four of indulging in an act of terrorism and said they tried to incite fear.
“It was a well planned attack on Parliament,” it said.
The police submitted that they have added Sections 16 and 18 of UAPA related to terrorism and conspiracy for terrorism respectively.
“Their right was limited to gallery. They jumped from the (visitors) gallery into the Well, which was trespass. They hid (smoke) canister in their shoes,” the police said while referring to the security breach.
The prosecution said the custodial interrogation of the four arrested people was necessary to unravel the actual motive behind the incident and find out if some other people were also involved.
“Special shoes were made in Lucknow which needs to be probed. They need to be taken to Mumbai, Mysore and Lucknow for probe,” the court was told.
A police official, who requested anonymity, said security agencies have not found any connection with terror groups so far, a day after Sagar and Manoranjan jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released coloured smoke from canisters and shouted slogans causing panic before being overpowered by some MPs.
Around the same time at 1.01 pm, Amol and Neelam sprayed coloured smoke from canisters while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi” outside Parliament premises.
The case against the four was registered under UAPA sections 16 (punishment for terrorist act) and 18 (punishment for conspiracy, etc.) and IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) at the Parliament Street police station, police sources said.
Names of two organisations have also emerged in the investigations by police and their roles are being examined, they said, adding all the accused are giving same answers to the investigation team. (PTI)
