Parliament security breach: Delhi Police given 45 days more to finish probe

New Delhi : A court on Monday granted Delhi Police 45 days more to complete its probe in the December 13, 2023 Parliament security breach case. The police had moved the court last week, saying that certain reports are awaited and the digital data is voluminous.

Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of the Patiala House Courts allowed the police’s application but granted only 45 days against their request for an extension of three months to finish the investigation.

On March 7, the judge issued notice to six accused -- Neelam Azad, Manoranjan D., Sagar Sharma, Lalit Jha, Amol Shinde, and Mahesh Kumawat, on the police plea.

Manoranjan, Sharma, Shinde, Jha, and Kumawat had earlier alleged that they were being tortured by Delhi Police to admit their association with opposition parties and were coerced into signing about 70 blank sheets of papers. Azad had also alleged that police forced her to sign several blank sheets of paper.

Special public prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh had objected to the allegation, as the court recorded the submissions from both sides.

Manoranjan D. and Sharma had burst yellow smoke canisters inside the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13, the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, after jumping from the visitors’ gallery before they were overpowered by the MPs present in the House. Azad and Shinde also burst smoke canisters and raised slogans outside the Parliament. Jha is believed to be the mastermind of the entire plan and had reportedly fled with the mobile phones of the four other accused persons.