The startling breach into Parliament on Wednesday resulted from meticulous planning over a span of at least 18 months and numerous meetings among the accused. Despite their diverse geographic origins, all individuals involved shared a common link through a social media page named the ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club,’ according to police officials.
The alarming events transpired on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, the key figures in the breach, leapt from the visitors’ gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber during the Zero Hour at approximately 1 pm. Deploying canisters emitting yellow smoke, Sharma maneuvered over desks towards the Speaker’s Chair. However, his actions were swiftly met with resistance from MPs, resulting in his overpowering and subsequent physical altercation.
Meanwhile, outside the Parliament, Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde employed canisters emitting yellow and red smoke while vociferating slogans against “dictatorship.” Sagar Sharma resides in Lucknow, Manoranjan hails from Mysore, Neelam is a resident of Jind in Haryana, and Shinde comes from Maharashtra.
The remaining two individuals implicated in the incident are Lalit Jha, purportedly responsible for recording videos of Neelam and Shinde using the canisters outside Parliament and subsequently absconding with their cellphones. Vicky Sharma, in whose residence the other accused lodged before the attack, is also part of the case. Lalit Jha hails from Bihar, and Vicky Sharma is a resident of Gurugram.
Based on the ongoing Delhi Police investigation, the initial gathering of the accused occurred approximately 18 months ago in Mysuru. During this meeting, they discussed various methods of bringing attention to issues they believed Parliament should address, such as unemployment, inflation, and the violence in Manipur.
Nine months ago, in March of this year, another meeting transpired where, according to police officials, a detailed plan started to take form. This meeting occurred in the vicinity of Chandigarh airport, coinciding with the farmers’ protest demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price.
Approximately four months later, in July, Sharma traveled from Lucknow to New Delhi to conduct reconnaissance of the Parliament complex. This occurred prior to the inaugural session in the new Parliament building scheduled for September, during which Sharma was unable to gain access. Authorities reported that he surveyed the building from the exterior, meticulously documenting all security arrangements, and subsequently briefed the rest of the group.
Having chosen the anniversary of the Parliament attack as the date for executing the breach, Sharma, Manoranjan, Neelam, and Shinde arrived in Delhi on Sunday, December 10. They proceeded to Vicky Sharma’s residence in Gurugram, where they lodged until Wednesday.
According to a police official, on the day of the breach, the accused assembled at India Gate. It was at this location that Shinde distributed the canisters to the other individuals involved. Shinde had obtained the canisters from his hometown in Maharashtra and transported them to Delhi.
The initial plan encompassed all six individuals entering the Parliament, but they were able to secure passes only for Sharma and Manoranjan.
The subsequent events are under investigation, and concerns have been raised by several Members of Parliament regarding how the intruders successfully executed the breach on a day when security within the Parliament was already heightened due to the anniversary of the 2001 attack. Security agencies would have been on high alert, especially considering the prior threat by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who had warned of an attack on the Parliament ‘on or before December 13.’ However, as of now, no link has been established between Pannun’s threat and the breach.
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