A Delhi court on Saturday ordered the judicial custody of the six individuals accused in the Parliament security breach case on December 13, 2023. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Courts extended the judicial custody of Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Neelam Devi Azad, Lalit Jha, and Mahesh Kumawat until January 27. The decision was made as the accused were presented before the court upon the expiration of their police custody.
The court's order followed an application by the Delhi Police seeking judicial custody for all the accused, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. During the hearing, Neelam Devi Azad alleged that a female officer had forced her to sign over 50 blank papers the previous Friday. Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh contested the allegations, and the court documented the statements from both sides.
In the preceding hearing, five of the six accused, excluding Azad, consented before the court to undergo a polygraph test, as requested by the Delhi Police. The police had sought permission for the test, stating the need for more details to strengthen the case and gather additional evidence to uncover the entire conspiracy. Additionally, permission was sought for brain mapping and narco tests of Manoranjan and Sagar.
The incident, which occurred on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, involved Manoranjan and Sagar releasing yellow smoke canisters inside the Lok Sabha chamber. They had jumped from the visitors' gallery before being subdued by MPs present in the House. Two other individuals, Azad and Shinde, also released smoke canisters and chanted slogans outside Parliament. Lalit Jha, considered the mastermind, reportedly fled with the mobile phones of the other four individuals involved in the plan.
(With Agency Inputs)
