Parliament security breach: Police question acquaintance of accused Lalit Jha in Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 14 (IANS) The West Bengal Police on Thursday questioned a youth named Nilakkha Aich in connection with the major security breach in the Parliament on Wednesday. 

Aich, a second-year under-graduate student at a reputed college in West Bengal, was reportedly acquainted with Lalit Jha, one of the six accused in the security breach case who is still on the run.

The police reached Aich's residence at Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district on Thursday after being alerted by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police that a video of the security breach in the Lok Sabha was sent to the mobile phone of Aich through WhatsApp on Wednesday, hours after the incident took place.

During questioning, Aich told the police that besides being a student, he is also involved with social activities. He is associated with an NGO and he got acquainted with Jha through that NGO only, Aich reportedly told the police.

Aich also informed the police that at one point of time, Jha was also staying in Kolkata for social activities and it was during that time that he met Jha a couple of times.

The police have come to know that during his stay in Kolkata, Jha had rented a place in the Burrabazar area. As per the owner of the house, Jha used to pay rent online.

The neighbours have told the police that Jha was an extremely introvert person who rarely interacted with them. 

The police in Kolkata have been alerted in anticipation that Jha, who is currently absconding, might try to take shelter in the city considering his old association with the place.

The police are making all attempts to track others who were known to Jha during his stay in Kolkata.      

Six persons were involved in the planning and execution of the security breach in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Two of them -- Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D. -- burst yellow smoke canisters after jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery before they were overpowered by the MPs present in the House. 

The others -- Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde -- did the same and raised slogans outside the Parliament, while a fifth person, identified as Vicky Sharma, provided logistics to the accused at his Gurugram home.

The sixth accused, Jha, reportedly fled with the mobile phones of the four accused from the Parliament.

While five of the accused have been arrested, Jha is still on the run.

--IANS

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