The Delhi Police Counter Intelligence unit has written to Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, requesting access to the social media accounts of the six accused persons in the Parliament security breach case. They are seeking details of the now-deleted Facebook page “Bhagat Singh Fan Club,” where the accused individuals reportedly met.
Sources indicate that Meta has also been asked to share WhatsApp chats of the accused, as their mobile phones have been damaged. Simultaneously, Delhi Police informed the court on Monday that the FIR registered for the Parliament security breach is “very sensitive in nature.” Consequently, the accused cannot be provided with a copy of the FIR at present.
Opposing Neelam’s application for a copy of the FIR, Delhi Police emphasised that the “leak” of “crucial information” at this stage could influence the investigation. Teams from Delhi Police have been dispatched to six States —Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Maharashtra — to probe
the Parliament security breach that occurred on December 13.
Police sources said that they will also examine the email accounts associated with the WhatsApp numbers of the accused to retrieve chat backups and identify other individuals they were in contact with just before their alleged involvement in the case. Additionally, the police have collected bank account details of all the accused to investigate if they received money for executing the December 13 incident.
Various Delhi Police teams approached family members of the accused on Sunday, collecting details of their bank accounts. Bank passbooks of Neelam Devi and Sagar Sharma were seized from their residences in Jind and Lucknow, respectively.
According to sources, Meta has been requested to share WhatsApp chats of the accused due to their damaged mobile phones.
“WhatsApp users need to attach an application with an email address... This email account is used to take backup of chats every 24 hours,” said a source familiar with the investigation.
The court of Special Judge received a submission from Delhi Police on Monday, asserting that the FIR registered over the Parliament security breach is “very sensitive in nature.” Therefore, the accused cannot be provided with its copy at present. The court, presided over by Special Judge Hardeep Kaur, has reserved the order on Neelam Azad’s application for December 19.
During the arguments, Azad’s lawyer claimed that she was being harassed. Police informed the court that the copy of the FIR, lodged under stringent sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including terrorism, is in a “sealed cover” due to its sensitive nature.
“Further investigation is in progress, and the accused is in police remand. Some other persons who might be involved are still at large. Therefore, providing the copy of the FIR to the accused at this stage can influence the investigation,” Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh told the court.
Sources reveal that more than 50 teams are investigating the digital and bank details and background of the accused. The main mastermind, Lalit Jha, has been handed over to the special cell team in Janakpuri, South Western Range. Other accused individuals are being handled by specialized teams in different regions.
All the accused have reportedly been unapologetic about their actions and were prepared to face the consequences. The Delhi Police have arrested six persons—Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D, Amol Shinde, Neelam Devi, Lalit Jha, and Mahesh Kumawat—for their alleged involvement in the Parliament security breach case. They have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to police reports, Lalit Jha, the “mastermind” of the Parliament security breach conspiracy, threw his mobile phone and burnt those of other accused in Rajasthan’s Nagaur. Police later recovered fragments of broken and burnt mobile phones at Jha’s instance, which have been sent to the forensic department for data recovery.
In a related development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has requested all chief secretaries of state governments to nominate candidates for the vacant post of joint secretary (Security) in the Lok Sabha Secretariat, following the Parliament security breach.
A team from the Special Cell visited Manoranjan’s residence in Mysuru on Monday, recording statements from his parents and relatives. The family was questioned about his bank details and foreign visits. In another development, a team of Delhi Police managed to identify the shoe shop in Lucknow’s Alam Bagh from where Sagar had bought two pairs of shoes, for Rs 600 each, in which he hid the smoke canisters. The shop is just a kilometer from his house in Lucknow, according to a source.
The team is actively searching for the cobbler who assisted Sagar in making cavities in his shoes. Sagar’s other family members and friends in Lucknow were also questioned by the police team.
