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Synopsis

The individuals accused in the Parliament security breach case have filed an application before Delhi's Patiala House Court, claiming that they were subjected to torture and coercion during their custody.

The accused persons, including Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Lalit Jha, Amol Shinde, and Mahesh Kumawat, have allege that they were forced to sign 70 blank pages, confess to crimes under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and falsely link themselves to political parties.

In the plea, the accused stated that during polygraph, narco, and brain mapping tests, the test administrators pressured them to name a political party or leader in connection with the case. They further claimed that they were questioned about their current and old mobile phone numbers and taken to telecom provider offices for the issuance of SIM cards for both old and new phone numbers.

Additionally, the accused asserted they were compelled to disclose passwords for their online social media accounts, email accounts, and mobile phones.

The six accused were physically presented before Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur, who extended their judicial custody until March 1, 2024.

The court scheduled the hearing for the application on February 17 and directed Delhi Police to submit its response to the allegations presented by the accused.

It is to be noted that on January 5, five of the six accused persons arrested in connection with the Parliament security breach gave their consent before the Court to conduct their polygraph test.

Neelam Azad, Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D, and Amol Shinde were arrested on December 13, 2023, by Delhi Police, along with three other accused. The arrests followed a breach where Azad and Shinde were protesting outside the Parliament building, and Sharma and Manoranjan D entered the Lok Sabha chamber with canisters emitting smoke.

Later, the police arrested Lalit Jha, the alleged mastermind, and another co-accused, Mahesh Kumawat. On January 18, Azad's bail was denied based on the early stage of the investigation and the serious nature of the allegations against her.