Following the extensive interrogation over the past few days, the six accused in the December 13 breach of Parliament security case were transferred to the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Delhi Police's Special Cell, sources said on Thursday, adding that four of them will be produced in court.
“They were being questioned separately and at different offices of the Special Cell across the city. On Wednesday, they all were brought to Special Cell’s CIU station at NFC and were confronted together to match their statements,” said the sources.
Four accused -- Manoranjan D., Sagar Sharma, Neelam and Amol Shinde -- are to be produced before the court as their seven-day police custody ends Thursday.
Sources said that police were likely to seek extension of their custody for further probe.
The two men, who managed to enter the Lok Sabha Hall from the visitors' gallery on December 13, the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, were identified as Manoranjan D. and Sagar Sharma.
While Manoranjan is an Engineering student from Karnataka, Sharma's visitor's pass was issued on the recommendation of Karnataka's Mysore BJP MP, Pratap Simha.
The other two, a man and a woman, who were protesting with coloured flares outside Parliament and were detained by Delhi Police, were identified as Neelam, a resident of Jind in Haryana and Amol Shinde, a resident of Latur, Maharashtra.
The alleged mastermind of the Parliament security breach incident, Lalit Jha, who fled with the phones of Manoranjan, Sharma, Neelam and Shinde, had surrendered at the Kartavya Path police station.
Following his interrogation, the police arrested Mahesh Kumawat, the sixth accused in the Parliament security breach, on charges of criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, the official sources said.
On Wednesday, the Delhi Police had also taken into custody a man from Jalaun's Orai in Uttar Pradesh.
The man was identified as Atul Kulshrestha, 50 and he was a member of the Bhagat Singh Fans Club, a social media page/group.
Following the recovery of burnt phones on the instance of Jha, the police have decided to add Section 201 (destruction of evidence/disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code to the already registered FIR.
The case, registered against them and Jha at Parliament Street police station, includes 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 UAPA.
Jha after filming the protest by Amol and Neelam outside Parliament had shared the video with several people and asked them to circulate it.
India revokes security clearance of Turkey’s Celebi Airport Services
The government on Thursday revoked the security clearance for Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services at the Indian airports, as calls grew to ban Turkish businesses in the wake of their country supporting Pakistan which harbours terrorism.
Indus Treaty on hold until Pakistan 'credibly and irrevocably' abjures support for cross-border terrorism
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Thursday made it clear that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will remain suspended until Pakistan stops sheltering internationally designated terrorist entities and individuals who are also engaged in cross-border terrorism against India.
Our relations, our dealings with Pakistan will be strictly bilateral: EAM Jaishankar
Making India's longstanding position clear once again, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Thursday said that any issues pertaining to Pakistan will be dealt with Islamabad bilaterally.
Three Jaish terrorists killed in J&K encounter
Three terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were killed on Thursday in a gunfight with the security forces in Nader village of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Assam Rifles kill 10 militants in fierce gunbattle in Manipur; operation underway
In a major counter-insurgency operation, at least 10 militants were killed during a fierce encounter with the Assam Rifles in Manipur's Chandel district, as security forces continue their intensified crackdown on insurgent groups across the state.
Top BSF official emphasises need for heightened vigilance on Indo-B’desh border
A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said that Agrawal, a senior IPS officer, underlined the maximum vigil along the India-Bangladesh border to ensure a prompt and effective response to any adverse situation.
Oil India Limited begins gas exploration work in Tripura
In a significant development, the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) commenced its exploration and production activities in Tripura by spudding its well at Debtamura in Tripura’s Gomati district, officials said here on Wednesday.
BJP holds 'Tiranga Yatra' in Tripura, Mizoram to honour armed forces
As part of the ongoing nationwide outreach efforts, the BJP on Wednesday organised 'Tiranga Yatra' in Tripura and Mizoram to celebrate the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’ conducted in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.