Lalit Jha, 'mastermind' of Parliament security breach, surrenders before Delhi Police

Lalit Jha, the alleged key conspirator of Wednesday's Parliament security breach, surrendered before police in Delhi on Thursday evening. Jha, according to sources, lived on rent in a house in Kolkata for several years.

Kolkata:Lalit Jha, the alleged mastermind of Wednesday's Parliament security breach, surrendered on Thursday evening before Delhi Police. Jha is the sixth accused in the case and is considered the key conspirator.

"Jha came to the police station on his own. He is being interrogated," ANI reported quoting Delhi Police. Sources said Jha surrendered at Kartavya Path police station. While 8 security personnel have been suspended and the Home Affairs Ministry has launched an inquiry into the matter, a case has been registered against the accused under multiple relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Jha, as per sources, lived on rent in a house in Kolkata. According to sources in Kolkata's Lalbazar, Lalit Jha lived on rent at 218 Rabindra Sarani in the Burrabazar area of the city. He was in that area for a few years. Officials from Burrabazar Police Station and Intelligence Department of Kolkata Police Thursday went to Jha's rented accommodation and spoke to the property owner.

Police learned from the house owner that Jha used to pay the rent online and on time. As a result, the two did not meet that much. Moreover, even though Jha had been in the city for several years, he had no such contact with the people of the area and hardly spoke to anyone.

Jha used to work in an NGO in Purulia district. The Kolkata Police sources revealed a special team of Delhi Police may visit Kolkata soon. A senior official of Kolkata Police, wishing anonymity, said, "We have received a message from the crime branch of Delhi. Hence, we will extend all possible help to the Delhi Police in this matter.”

Meanwhile, the BJP’s West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar has alleged a close link between TMC leader Tapas Roy and Lalit Jha. Taking to his official handle on social media platform X, the BJP state chief shared a photograph in which the TMC leader is purportedly seen alongside Jha.

“Lalit Jha, the mastermind of the attack on our Temple of Democracy, had been in close association with TMC’s Tapas Roy for a long time… Isn’t this proof enough for an investigation into the connivance of the leader?” Majumdar posted from his X handle.

Pertinently, during interrogation, the four persons arrested and booked under UAPA in connection with the security breach in Parliament revealed that they wanted to enact revolutionary Bhagat Singh's action of throwing bombs inside the Central Assembly during British rule in India. Police said the accused had planned to throw pamphlets in Parliament after using the smoke bombs, adding that they had also bought tricolours.

The case was registered against the four -- Sagar Sharma (26), Manoranjan D (34), Amol Shinde (25) and Neelam Devi (37) -- 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 servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) at the Parliament Street police station, police sources said.

While police are also questioning Gurugram resident Vishal Sharma and his wife as the four arrested accused stayed at Sharma's residence on Tuesday night, Lalit Jha remained untraced until Thursday evening when he was eventually nabbed in the national capital. The four were associated with a social media page named 'Bhagat Singh Fan Club'. "So far, all the four accused claimed to have been self-motivated and they were planning and executing the whole incident on their own," a senior officer said.

Police sources said that the scope of the probe was expanded with the role of a few more people suspected for Wednesday's security breach. The Delhi Police Special Cell has contacted Neelaksh Aish, founder of an NGO, to get further lead about Lalit Jha who is stated to be part of a Kolkata-based NGO.

Soon after the security breach incident, Jha recorded a video of Neelam and Amol shouting slogans and releasing yellow-coloured smoke from canisters outside the Parliament building and sent it to Aish, police said.