5th Accused In ‘Well-Coordinated & Meticulously Planned’ Parliament Security Breach Nabbed

New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has apprehended the fifth suspect in Parliament security breach case from Gurugram, the PTI reported citing sources on Thursday.

The 5th suspected identified as Vishal Sharma had given shelter to the four who hatched the plan. While Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D were taken into custody after they leaped into Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery during the session and sprayed yellow gas, Amol Shinde and Neelam were detained for protesting, carrying cans that emitted a yellowish smoke while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi”, outside the Parliament building. The four are unemployed with disparate backgrounds.

Another accomplice Lalit is on the run. He had made the video of Amol and Neelam releasing smoke from canisters outside the Parliament premises and uploaded on his Instagram account. Vishal, on the other hand, drove an auto-rickshaw and his neighbours claimed that he was a drunkard and often quarrelled with his wife. Police have also detained his wife and her possible role in the incident is being probed.

Delhi police special cell has booked them under Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and 120B and 452 of the Indian Penal Code.

According to media reports, the Wednesday security breach was well-coordinated and meticulously planned by six people, who reportedly knew each other for four years. They had met in Mysuru about one and a half years ago. They later coordinated through social media and conducted reconnaissance of the Parliament building in the days preceding the incursion. One member even entered Parliament earlier in March to survey the premises and exploited a security loophole where shoes were not thoroughly checked.

Police officials said that during interrogation, Amol of Maharashtra’s Latur told investigators they were upset with issues like the farmers’ protest, Manipur crisis and unemployment. Neelam claimed to be a student studying for competitive exams after completing MA, B.ED, M.Ed, M.Phil and clearing NET.

It is not yet known whether they worked for any organisation or not.

The opposition turned the heat on the BJP for the massive breach as Sagar and Manoranjan D had their passes signed by BJP MP Pratap Simha.

The security breach inside Parliament came exactly 22 years after the December 13, 2001, attack on the building that had left nine, including eight security personnel, dead.

Meanwhile, security has been heightened in Parliament with only MPs being allowed to enter the building from Makar Dwar, and all persons are being checked thoroughly also by making them remove their shoes.