Former roommate of Lok Sabha intruder Manoranjan detained from Bagalkot residence

BAGALKOT: A software engineer with a private firm, said to be a friend of Manoranjan D, 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 Bagalkot and son of retired Deputy Superintendent of Police Vithal P Jagali, is a friend of Manoranjan D, who, along 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 circles since then.

Saikrishna was detained from his house in Vidyagiri, Bagalkot. His father is a retired Deputy SP.

A team of Delhi police detained Saikrishna from his house at Vidyagiri in Bagalkot on Wednesday evening. He was interrogated for some time at the Navanagar 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, had written Saikrishna’s name in his diary, they added.

Saikrishna was briefly questioned at the Navanagar police station in Bagalkot and taken to Delhi.

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, Neelam Azad (42) and Amol Shinde (25) protested outside the Parliament with similar gas canisters. 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 are 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. (ANI)