Roommate of Lok Sabha intruder Manoranjan detained from his residence in Karnataka
Dec 21, 2023
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 21 : A software engineer in a Karnataka-based firm, said to be a friend of one of the Lok Sabha intruders, has been detained by Delhi Police for questioning in connection with the Parliament security breach case, police said on Thursday.
As per Delhi police, the person identified as Saikrishna, a native of Bagalkote and son of retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vithala Jagali, is a friend of Manoranjan D-- who with Sagar Sharma jumped into the Chamber of Lok Sabha and released yellow-coloured smoke canisters inside the House, triggering panic among MPs on December 13.
The security lapse case has been at the centre of discussion in the political aisle of the country since then.
A team of Delhi Police detained Saikrishna from his house in Bagalkote on Wednesday evening. He was interrogated for some time at Navnagar police station before being taken to the national capital.
"Saikrishna was a friend of the accused Manoranjan (a native of Mysuru) and was a classmate at BIT Engineering College, Bengaluru," police said, adding that the duo were roommates during 2008-2009.
Manoranjan, who went to Delhi in 2012, wrote Saikrishna's name in his diary, they added.
The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. Two people--Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D--jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted anti-establishment slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.
Outside parliament, in another incident, two protestors -- Neelam (42) and Amol (25) -- protested outside the Parliament with similar gas canisters. However, all four, facing charges under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, were sent to seven-day custody of the Delhi Police Special Cell on December 14, which is set to expire today. Delhi Police is likely to seek further custody of the accused.
Following the Incident, Delhi Police had also arrested two more persons namely Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat in the case. On December 15, a Delhi court sent Lalit Jha to 7-day police custody for his sustained custodial interrogation.
