Delhi Police Opposes Bails In Parliament Security Breach Case, Says Terrorising Minds Of Parliamentarians Can't Be Condoned

The Delhi Police on Monday opposed before the Delhi High Court bail pleas filed by three men accused in the Parliament security breach case which happened on December 13, 2023.

The Delhi Police counsel told a division bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh that the act of the accused carrying inflammable material in smoke canisters and terrorising the minds of the parliamentarians cannot be condoned.

The Bench, also comprising Justice Madhu Jain was hearing the pleas filed by accused Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma and Lalit Jha seeking bail in the UAPA case.

The Delhi Police said that there was a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the country and that the accused persons “terrorised the minds of the parliamentarians, the staff and those watching.”

The counsel said that the accused Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma were the lead players in the entire conspiracy and that their actions created havoc, which was seen live on television.

He added that their act of using smoke canisters containing inflammatory material and jumping into the Parliament cannot be condoned.

The Police further said that the accused can influence material witnesses who are yet to be examined before the trial court if they are released on bail.

On the other hand, the senior counsel representing the accused said that a coordinate bench had granted bail to two co accused persons, adding that the same relief be granted to the three accused in question. He said the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future as even the charges were yet to be framed.

The Court then listed the matter on March 17 after it was informed that the trial court is scheduled to take up the case on February 06.

“Let's see if charges are framed (by then)," the bench said.

In the previous hearing, the Court had remarked that the act of accused in the 2023 Parliament security breach case of choosing the date as December 13, which is similar to 2001 attack, cannot be a coincidence.

July last year, a coordinate bench had granted bail to co accused Neelam Azad and Mahesh Kumawat. However, they were barred from doing any press conferences or giving any interviews. The Court had also restrained them from posting anything on the social media relating to the incident in question.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, two persons jumped into the chamber of Lok Sabha from the public gallery when the Zero Hour was in session. The duo was identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D.

In the photographs and videos that surfaced on social media, the two were seen holding canisters which released yellow gas. They were also shouting slogans. However, they were overpowered by some of the Member of Parliaments (MPs).

Two other accused, identified as Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad, also sprayed coloured gas from similar canisters outside the premises of the Parliament. They were reportedly shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi.”

Title: Manoranjan D v. State & other connected matters