Delhi HC grants relief to 2 accused in Parliament security breach case

The Delhi High Court today granted bail to Neelam Azad and Mahesh Kumawat on a ₹50,000 bond and two sureties each, after they challenged a trial court order that had earlier denied them bail

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to two individuals accused of breaching Parliament on December 13, 2023, news agency PTI reported.

 

The two accused, Neelam Azad and Mahesh Kumawat, have been granted bail on a personal bond of ₹50,000 each and two sureties of the like amount.

 

A bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar directed the two accused not to give interviews to news outlets or make social media posts related to the incident.

 

The two have been asked to report to their respective police stations every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10.00 AM without fail. They have also been prohibited from leaving the Delhi-NCR without obtaining prior permission from the court. 

 

 

The relief to the two comes after the accused challenged a trial court’s order rejecting their bail plea.

 

The ruling comes in connection with the intrusion that occurred inside the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour on December 13, 2023. The Parliament breach coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. During the intrusion, two accused, namely Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, allegedly jumped from the public gallery into the chamber and released yellow gas from canisters. The two also sloganeered before they were overpowered by some members of parliament (MPs). 

At the same time, two other accused, Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad, allegedly sprayed colour gas outside Parliament premises and chanted, “tanashahi nahi chalegi” (dictatorship won’t work).

 

Azad’s counsel claimed that she should be granted bail as the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) couldn’t be attracted in the case, adding that she was not carrying any explosives inside Parliament and was standing outside. Opposing the bail plea, the police alleged that the accused intended to bring back “haunted memories” of the 2001 Parliament attack, the report added.

 

Earlier the High Court questioned the accused to explain the reason for choosing December 13, aside from the place for protest, being aware of designated spots for protests in the capital. The court also asked the police to explain whether carrying or using a smoke canister, inside and outside Parliament, attracted UAPA and if it fell under the definition of terrorist activities.