Parliament security breach: Delhi court sends four accused to 7-day police custody
New Delhi, Dec 14: A Delhi court on Thursday sent the four accused arrested for the shocking breach of security at the new Parliament building to the city police's custody for seven days for interrogation.
The accused- Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi- were produced before Special Judge for NIA cases Hardeep Kaur by the city police, who sought their custodial interrogation for 15 days. They have been charged under anti-terror law UAPA besides various sections of Indian Penal Code.
The court, however, remanded them in police custody for 7 days.
During the arguments, the prosecution 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," police said.
The Delhi police told the court they have added Sections 16 and 18 of anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) related to terrorism and conspiracy for terrorism, respectively, against them.
"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," police said.
The prosecution said their custodial interrogation 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.
The court appointed a legal aid counsel for the accused after they said they didn't have a lawyer to represent them.
The court-appointed defence counsel opposed the city police's application for a 15-day remand, saying two or three days were sufficient for their custodial interrogation.
In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, two persons -- Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D -- jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery, unleashed yellow coloured smoke from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by some MPs and watch and ward staff.
Around the same time, two other accused -- Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi -- also sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi" outside Parliament premises.
Sagar, Manoranjan, Amol and Neelam were immediately taken into custody, while their accomplice Vishal, in whose house the accused stayed before reaching Parliament, was detained later from Gurugram. Lalit Jha, a key conspirator, is on the run.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
