Parliament security breach: Mastermind had ‘plan B’, cops now probing his Maoist links

Read below: Cops to take the accused to recreate crime scene

NEW DELHI — The investigation into the Parliament security breach has exposed a hidden layer of planning orchestrated by mastermind Lalit Jha. Unravelling the intricacies of the alleged conspiracy, sources privy to the probe revealed that the perpetrators had a backup plan ready in case their initial attempt failed.

Official sources revealed that Neelam and Amol, positioned outside the Parliament, were part of the initial plot, armed with coloured smoke canisters. However, it appears that the accused were prepared for contingencies.

Also read: Washout in LS, RS proceedings over security breach issue

“They had their plan B ready with two more people, strategically waiting near Parliament,” said the sources.

Jha, identified as the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy, was reportedly present outside Parliament, accompanied by Mahesh and Kailash, both of whom have now been apprehended by the police and are being questioned in connection with the matter.

On Thursday, after Jha along with Mahesh reached Kartavya Path police station and surrendered, both were taken to the Delhi Police’s Special Cell for investigation. Jha was placed under arrest, while Mahesh was detained for questioning.

During the inquiry, Kailash’s involvement emerged, leading to his detention.

Sources further revealed that in the event Neelam and Amol couldn’t reach the vicinity of the Parliament building or were intercepted by security agencies, the backup plan (Plan B) involved Mahesh and Kailash taking charge.

“They were prepared to burst firecrackers and coloured gas canisters in front of media representatives, serving as an alternative method to voice their protest,” said the sources.

Following the incident, Jha, hailing from West Bengal and a native of Bihar, fled Delhi and sought refuge in Rajasthan. He spent a day at a hotel in Rajasthan, accompanied by Mahesh.

Sources also indicate that the Special Cell is actively investigating whether the incident involved only six to seven individuals or if there was assistance from additional collaborators.

A Delhi court on Friday sent Lalit Jha, the alleged mastermind in the Parliament security breach case, to seven-day police custody.

“He is the mastermind. We need his custody to unearth the whole conspiracy and the main motive behind the incident. We need to travel and take him to different cities and places. We need his custody to recover the mobile devices also,” Delhi Police told the court.

“Lalit Jha personally took away the mobile phones of the four accused just before executing their plan before making a hasty getaway,” a source said.

Jha, one of the accused in the Parliament security breach, had shot the video of the entire protest by two accused outside Parliament and had shared it with one youth, who is associated with an NGO (Samyabadi Subhash Sabha) in Kolkata, sources said.

“The four accused, apprehended both outside and inside the Parliament, had handed over their mobile phones to one Lalit Jha, a resident of Bihar. He was also located outside the Parliament and fled with the bag containing the phones when his associates were nabbed. It appears that he too received directions to do so from another person to flee from there with the phones,” the sources added.

The West Bengal Police have started a probe to see if the NGO having links to Jha had any connection with the Maoists.

An apprehension over Maoist links emerged after it was learnt that the NGO — Samyabadi Subhash Sabha runs a free coaching centre at Tunturi district in West Bengal’s Purulia district, which was once a stronghold of the Maoists.

Jha’s acquaintance in West Bengal, Nilakkha Aich, is said to be one of the founding members of the NGO.

The FIR against the accused — Manoranjan D, a resident of Mysuru; Sagar Sharma, a resident of Lucknow; Neelam, a resident of Haryana’s Jind; Amol Shinde, a resident of Maharashtra’s Latur and Lalit Jha, a resident of West Bengal — details mention that they had planned to spray the yellow smoke near the well of the House.

The FIR also details how the two accused, who gained entry in Parliament through a visitor’s pass had got a special cavity made in their shoes to take the gas canisters inside the House.

The Delhi Police FIR, which was registered on December 13, mentions how carefully Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D had made the special cavity in their shoes to carry the colour smoke gas canisters inside the House.

Parliament security breach: Cops to take the accused to recreate crime scene

Delhi Police’s Special Cell will be taking the accused, nabbed in connection with the Parliament security breach, to recreate the entire crime scene, a source privy to the probe said on Saturday.

Sources indicate that the alleged offender will undergo a re-enactment of the crime at the Parliament, facilitating the police in understanding the perpetrator’s entry into the building with a colour spray and the execution of their plan.

Reportedly, the Special Cell will accompany the accused, guiding them from the Parliament premises’ entrance to recreate the incident meticulously within the building.

Due to ongoing parliamentary proceedings, the Special Cell team faced challenges in re-enacting the scene following the arrest on Friday. The team is anticipated to conduct the recreation either on Saturday or Sunday when the Parliament is not in session.

The five accused have been identified as Manoranjan D, a resident of Mysuru; Sagar Sharma, a resident of Lucknow; Neelam, a resident of Haryana’s Jind, Amol Shinde, a resident of Maharashtra’s Latur and Lalit Jha, a resident of West Bengal.

The case registered against them and Lalit Jha, a native of Bohar, at the Parliament Street police station, involves Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespassing), 153 (provocation with intent to cause a riot), 186 (obstructing public servants in the discharge of public functions), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from duty) of the IPC, along with Sections 16 and 18 of the UAPA.

During court proceedings, the prosecution called the arrested individuals as terrorists, asserting that they orchestrated a well-planned attack on Parliament with the intention of inciting fear.

The police informed the court that they have included Sections 16 (terrorism) and 18 (conspiracy for terrorism) of the UAPA in the charges against the accused.

The police said that all the accused exceeded their rights by jumping from the gallery into the seating area of the MPs, constituting trespass.