Parliament security breach: Court allows Neelam Azad to meet counsel, grants her a copy of FIR

Azad’s parents had earlier filed an application in the Patiala House court to get a copy of the FIR and sought permission to meet her.

According to their plea, Azad’s parents visited the Sansad Marg police station last Friday to get a copy of the FIR and to meet her. When they reached the office of the Special Cell, they were told that Azad was unavailable, the plea stated, adding that the parents had to wait for five hours and were still not allowed to meet their daughter.

The parents also said the police had asked them to file an application in the court to get a copy of the FIR.

Delhi Police’s Special Cell, in response to their plea that was earlier submitted in the court, said that the FIR registered over the Parliament security breach was “very sensitive in nature” and that the accused in the case cannot, therefore, be provided with its copy at present.

The police had in their reply also stated that the investigation was underway and that the accused were either in police custody or at large. “Every information is crucial at this stage of investigation and any leakage can influence the investigation… Her meeting with any person can also influence the investigation,” they said.

While two of the accused, Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma, were arrested for jumping into the Lok Sabha hall from the visitors’ gallery and opening smoke cans, Azad and Amol Shinde were held for opening smoke canisters outside the new Parliament building on December 13.

Two others—Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat—were also earlier arrested and produced in the court. Mahesh had allegedly contacted Jha, the key accused, and the others via a Facebook group called Bhagat Singh Fan Page.

Jha and Kumawat were sent to seven-day police custody on December 15 and December 16, respectively.

The other four accused were earlier sent to seven-day custody, which was extended by another 15 days on Thursday.