Parliament Security Breach: Alleged Mastermind Lalit Mohan Jha Surrenders

NEW DELHI: A day after the Parliament security breach, stringent measures along with increased security personnel were put in place in and around the building on Thursday, with police and the Parliament security staff thoroughly checking the credentials of those entering the complex. In a late-evening development, Lalit Mohan Jha, the alleged mastermind who was absconding, surrendered at the Kartavyapath police station in New Delhi.

Apart from the deployment of more security personnel, full-body scanners will also be installed soon at all entry gates. The Central Public Works Department has already floated a tender for additional security infrastructure, including security gadgets and bulletproof enclosures for security personnel, at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crores for the Parliament complex.

Also, the Delhi police and CRPF personnel are deployed to frisk those entering the complex as well as the building.

According to sources, the CRPF, which is deployed in the Parliament complex for peripheral security, may be assigned a larger role in the overall security of the entire complex. The decision, sources said, will likely be taken once the enquiry committee headed by CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh submits its report.

So far, eight security personnel have been suspended for the security breach in Parliament. Those suspended belong to various security agencies and were on deputation for Parliament security. The suspended have been identified as Rampal, Arvind, Vir Das, Ganesh, Anil, Pradeep, Vimitt and Narendra.

"Though they were on deputation for Parliament security, their cadre controlling authority is the organisation they represent and not the Lok Sabha secretariat," a functionary said.

On Thursday, security personnel from the Delhi police and CRPF were deployed outside the Transport Bhavan, metres away from the Parliament complex, to check valid identity cards and entry passes before allowing the entry of journalists and officials.

Inside the Parliament campus, ministry officials, including the ministers' private secretaries and other staff, were stopped from entering Parliament through the Makar Dwar, as it is meant only for the entry of the MPs. They were asked to enter the building through the Shardul Dwar.

Even Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma was not allowed to enter the new building from the Makar Dwar. Mr Sangma had to get off his car and walk to the Shardul Dwar to enter the building.

As an additional measure, the Makar Dwar of the new Parliament House has been kept out of bounds for everyone, including journalists. Mediapersons with cameras were shifted to the lawn near the old Parliament building's gate number 12 and asked not to take sound bites of the MPs, take pictures or shoot videos near the Makar Dwar. “This has been done to avoid overcrowding outside the Makar Dwar,” a Parliament security staff member said.

Security personnel deployed outside the Parliament complex allowed only those visitors to reach the entry gates who had a valid entry pass. The drivers of the members of Parliament who were not carrying passes were not allowed to enter the complex.

The four arrested accused have been charged under anti-terror law UAPA besides various sections of the Indian Penal Code and were sent to seven days of police custody by a city court on Thursday.

A case has been registered under UAPA sections 16 (punishment for terrorist act) and 18 (punishment for conspiracy, etc.) and IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servants in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharge of their duty) at the Parliament Street police station.

The massive manhunt to nab Lalit ended on Thursday evening with his surrender at the Kartavyapath police station in New Delhi. Before his surrender, raids were conducted to nab Lalit, who is a teacher by profession and is believed to be the main conspirator behind the security breach.

After his surrender, Lalit was taken into custody by the district police and was later handed over to the official of the Delhi police special cell, which, along with other agencies, will question him. Soon after the Lok Sabha security breach, he had switched off his phone and was on the run.

Influenced by revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Lalit, a resident of Kolkata, and others were highly motivated to commit an act that could draw the country's attention. He was reportedly associated with several NGOs. All six accused are said to have joined a Bhagat Singh fan page on Facebook after coming in touch with each other on social media.

"Special shoes were made in Lucknow, which needs to be probed. They need to be taken to Mumbai, Mysuru and Lucknow for the probe," the court was told.

The court appointed legal aid counsel for the accused after they said they didn't have a lawyer to represent them.

The court-appointed defence counsel opposed the city police's application for a 15-day remand, saying two or three days were sufficient for their custodial interrogation.

The four accused were interrogated at the city police's diplomatic security force's office located at Chanakyapuri. Initially, Neelam and Amol were taken to Parliament Street police station and later, they were shifted to the DSF office.

Names of two organisations have also emerged in the investigation of the Delhi police special cell and their roles are being examined, an official said, adding that all the accused are giving the same answers to the investigation team. "It seems that they had already made preparations as to what to say when the police interrogate them when they are caught."