On 17th December, a friend of Parliament security breach’s mastermind, Lalit Jha, told India Today that he had received the video of the breach from Jha with a request to circulate it on social media. Sourav Chakraborty, who hails from West Bengal, said he had known Jha since May 2014 and had met him via Facebook. However, he never knew what Jha was planning.
Chakraborty said, “We met on Facebook. He used to like and comment on my posts on social media. He used to support me in my Facebook posts. I have known him since May 14, but he never told me anything along these lines (Parliament security breach incident).” He further stated that if the incident had taken place “before 1947”, he would have supported it. He called it an “unnecessary” act now. He said, “He (Jha) used to speak about social justice and welfare. He never told me or hinted at such a kind of plan.”
Lalit Jha and Chakraborty met in Kolkata during two rallies. Jha had helped Chakraborty in making arrangements for a rally in Uttar Pradesh.
Lalit Jha sought seven lakhs from his father
Reports suggest that Jha had sought Rs 7 lakh from his father a few months ago. A team from Baheda Police Station questioned his parents at their house in district Danbanga of Bihar. During questioning, his father, Devanant Jha, said he was informed about Lalit’s arrest via phone by Delhi Police on 15th December.
The police also checked his mobile phone and asked about some photos and videos stored on the device. Lalit’s father said in a statement that he had asked for Rs 7 lakh a few months back. He claimed to have cleared the NEET exam and sought money for admission to a private college as his rank was low. However, due to his financial condition, Devanand could not help his son. He claimed his son was innocent and urged police not to take any strict action against him.
Security breach in parliament
On 14th December, the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, a major security breach occurred when two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitor gallery during Zero Hour. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered an inquiry into a Parliament security breach incident. Seven accused have been arrested in the matter. Further investigation into the Parliament Security Breach is underway.
