In a dramatic turn of events, Lalit Jha, the alleged mastermind behind the recent security breach at the Parliament, has voluntarily surrendered to the Delhi Police. Jha, a Kolkata-based teacher, reportedly presented himself at a police station on Kartavya Path, the boulevard aptly renamed ‘Path of Duty’ in the heart of Delhi. Following his surrender, he was formally arrested and subsequently handed over to the Special Cell by the New Delhi District Police.
Sources reveal that Jha, who had been evading authorities for nearly two days, claimed to have traveled by bus to Rajasthan’s Nagaur via Neemrana, where he was last spotted. He purportedly stayed at a hotel with two companions before deciding to return to Delhi upon learning of the police pursuit. Accompanying him at the police station was an individual named Mahesh, according to insider information.
The arrest comes in the wake of a security breach during Lok Sabha proceedings, orchestrated by four individuals, Sagar, Manoranjan, Neelam Devi, and Amol Shinde. The latter two, lacking proper passes, staged a protest outside the parliament, brandishing smoke canisters and chanting slogans. Simultaneously, Jha, also without a visitors’ pass, recorded the incident on his cellphone and shared it on social media, including passing a copy to a Kolkata-based associate managing a non-profit organization.
Investigators point to the motive behind this unconventional “smoke protest” as an attempt to draw attention to issues such as rising unemployment, the plight of farmers, and the situation in Manipur. The group, associated with the Facebook page “Fans of Bhagat Singh,” aimed to prompt parliamentary discussions on these matters.
Despite the Delhi Police’s assertion in court that the incident resembled a terror attack, they acknowledged the need for further investigation into the matter. The accused, now facing charges under the anti-terror law UAPA and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, had their custody sought for two weeks.
In the courtroom, the police raised questions about the motive behind the breach, emphasizing the necessity to determine whether a terrorist organization was involved in the orchestrated event. As the investigation unfolds, the nation awaits answers to the lingering questions surrounding the unprecedented breach of parliamentary security.
