Parliament security breach: Parliament witnessed a major security breach on Wednesday, December 13, coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of a previous terrorist attack on the House in 2001. For the unversed, two individuals leapt from visitors' gallery number 4 into the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of India's Parliament) and released smoke canisters. While the security breach can be attributed to several factors, including a shortage of security personnel, a decrease in the height of the visitors' gallery from the House floor in the new Parliament building, a recent surge in visitor numbers, and the omission of shoe checks, let's delve into the diverse identities of the individuals involved in this unprecedented incident.
The individuals involved in this incident have diverse educational backgrounds, hail from different social strata, and represent various regions across the country. Ranging in age from the mid-20s to the late 30s, individuals such as Sagar Sharma, Neelam Azad, Manoranjan D, Amol Shinde, Vicky Sharma, and Lalit Jha appear to have no apparent commonalities on the surface.
Bhagat Singh Fan Club: A Common Link
Investigations have revealed that all the individuals are members of a social media group named the 'Bhagat Singh Fan Club.' Two of them, Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde, faced repeated job rejections despite their efforts. According to the information provided to the police, the accused orchestrated the breach to draw attention to pressing issues like unemployment, inflation, and violence in Manipur. They planned to ensure that these concerns were brought into parliamentary discussions.
The varied identities of accused
Lalit Jha: Lalit Jha, who is on the run after the breach of Parliament security is a resident of Bihar and a teacher by profession. Police suspect either Jha is in Rajasthan or Haryana. He is on the run after the breach of Parliament security by his associates. Reports claimed that he had recorded videos of Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde deploying canisters emitting yellow and red smoke. Jha also took advantage of the ensuing chaos to abscond with the cellphones belonging to all his accomplices. Additionally, he forwarded one of the videos to the founder of an NGO, requesting that it be kept "safe" and ensuring media coverage for the incident. "We are trying to locate Jha's location through technical and manual surveillance. CCTV footage are being scanned to know the route he took to escape from the security agencies," a source said.
Sagar Sharma (The rickshaw driver)
Born in Delhi, 27-year-old Sagar Sharma used to reside in Lucknow with his parents and younger sister. Reports suggest that he often quoted freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara in his social media posts. Before arriving in Delhi on Sunday, Sharma informed his family that he was heading to the capital to participate in a protest. In the footage capturing the breach, Sharma is seen leaping over desks and making his way toward the Speaker's Chair. He deployed a canister of yellow smoke, reportedly concealed in his shoe. However, MPs managed to overpower him, and he was subjected to physical confrontation before being handed over to security personnel.
Manoranjan D (An engineer)
A 34-year-old citizen from Mysuru, possesses a Bachelor's degree in computer engineering. Despite having pass to the visitors' gallery, he followed Sagar Sharma by leaping into the Lok Sabha chamber during the incident. It remains uncertain whether Manoranjan pursued employment after completing his graduation from the reputed Bengaluru Institute of Technology (BIT) in Bengaluru. Manoranjan studied the security arrangements in detail during the visits and planned the attack. Villagers in his native Mallapura near Arkalgud in Hassan state that Manoranjan has brought disrepute to the village and have branded it as an act of betrayal to the country.
Neelam Azad (Teacher)
Originally from Hisar in Haryana, Neelam Azad, is an accomplished individual with an M.Phil degree. She had cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET), a prerequisite for securing a teaching position. Despite these academic achievements, the 37-year-old found herself among the two individuals who, outside Parliament, released canisters emitting red and yellow smoke while vocalising slogans condemning "dictatorship." "She is very qualified, but wasn't getting a job. She was so stressed because of this that she often used to say that she should just die as, despite studying so much, she was unable to earn enough for two square meals," her mother, Saraswati, told reporters. Her brother said, "She had completed her BA, MA and M.Phil and had cleared NET, but was still unemployed. She moved to Jind six months ago and was preparing for the Secondary Teachers' Eligibility Test."
Amol Shinde (Army aspirant)
Amol Shinde, hailing from a village in Maharashtra's Latur and belonging to the scheduled castes, joined Neelam Azad in releasing canisters and chanting slogans outside Parliament. The 25-year-old, born to farm labourers, failed in clearing police and Army recruitment exams despite persistent efforts. "On December 9, Amol had left home saying he was going for a police recruitment drive. He could run very well and wanted to join the police or the Army. We don't know what he did in Parliament. We work as labourers. The police have also spoken to us and we have told them that we don't know anything." NDTV quoted his father as saying.
Vicky Sharma
Vicky Sharma, originally from Hisar, was known for his persistent issues with alcohol. He and his wife Rakhi have been apprehended by a Delhi Police team from Sector 7, Housing Board Colony in Gurugram. According to Vijay Parmar, a resident of the same residential society, the couple had been residing in the locality for the past 15 years. Accompanied by their daughter, the couple left their residence around 8 am on Wednesday to head to the national capital. Sharing insights into the couple's life in the locality, Parmar mentioned instances of arguments between Vicky and his wife. The community was unaware of Vicky Sharma's employment status, and he was known for confrontations with neighbours. Numerous complaints against the couple had been filed with the Residential Welfare Association (RWA).
