Parliament security breach: HC agrees to list on Friday plea against providing FIR copy to accused

PTI, Dec 22, 2023, 11:49 AM IST

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to list for hearing during the day a plea by the city police challenging a trial court order directing it to supply a copy of the FIR to an accused in the Parliament security breach case.

The matter was mentioned for hearing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna by the counsel for the police.

”We arrested four accused persons. In sensitive matters where we don’t provide a copy of the FIR, they have to approach the commissioner. (Trial court), however, directed that we supply a copy,” the lawyer said.

”List it today if in order,” Justice Manmohan said.

On Thursday, Special Judge Hardeep Kaur extended till January 5 the custody of four accused — Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde and Neelam Devi — arrested in the Parliament security breach case.

On an application by Neelam, the trial court also directed the Investigating Officer (IO) to hand over a copy of the FIR to her counsel.

”The concerned IO (investigating officer) is directed to furnish the copy of the present FIR to the applicant/accused as per law,” the court said.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on December 13, two of the accused — 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 slogans before being overpowered by some MPs.

Around the same time, two others — Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi — sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting ”tanashahi nahi chalegi” outside the Parliament House premises.

Besides the four accused, police have arrested Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat in the case. All the six accused are being interrogated in police custody.