The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to two individuals accused in the 2023 Parliament security breach case, prohibiting them from discussing the incident with the press or on social media.
A bench comprising Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar granted reprieve to Neelam Azad and Mahesh Kumawat, setting a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and requiring two sureties.
“We are granting bail… They shall not give interviews, or make any statement regarding the case before the press or social media. They shall not leave Delhi and appear before the investigating agency every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” the court stated, as reported by PTI.
The accused had challenged a trial court`s order that previously rejected their bail plea concerning the December 2023 incident.
In a significant security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, accused Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D allegedly leapt into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour. They subsequently released yellow gas from canisters and chanted slogans before being overpowered by several Members of Parliament. Around the same time, two other accused – Amol Shinde and Azad – allegedly sprayed coloured gas from canisters outside Parliament premises while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi (dictatorship won`t work)”.
The Delhi Police had opposed the bail applications, alleging that the accused intended to revive “haunted memories” of the 2001 Parliament attack. They stated that preliminary inquiry revealed Azad and Shinde were associates of Sharma and Manoranjan D, and that they collectively carried out the terror act, reported PTI.
The court had previously questioned the accused`s reason for choosing the specific date of 13th December, which marked the infamous 2001 Parliament attack, in addition to their choice of protest location despite being aware of designated protest spots in the capital. It also asked the police to clarify whether carrying or using a smoke canister, both inside and outside Parliament, attracted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and if it fell under the definition of terrorist activities.
According to PTI, the trial court had rejected Azad`s bail plea, citing sufficient evidence to believe that the allegations against her were “prima facie” true. It also added that all accused persons – Azad, Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Lalit Jha, and Mahesh Kumawat – already had knowledge of the threat issued by designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu to target Parliament on 13th December 2023. While four accused were taken into custody from the scene, Jha and Kumawat were arrested later.
(With inputs from PTI)