Parliament security breach: Sixth accused Mahesh Kumawat sent to seven-day police custody

NEW DELHI: One more accused,

Mahesh Kumawat

, has been arrested on Saturday in the

Parliament security breach

case on charges of criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. This brings the total to six arrests so far.
Delhi's Patiala House Court sent Kumawat to seven-day police custodial remand in connection with the case.
On the commemoration of the 2001 Parliament terror attack anniversary last Wednesday, a significant security lapse occurred when two individuals leaped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour.

Upon entry, they released yellow smoke from canisters and shouted slogans before being subdued by fellow Members of Parliament.
The incident involved two men named Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, who intruded into the Lok Sabha chamber. Simultaneously, outside the Parliament premises, Amol Shinde and Neelam Verma engaged in a similar act by releasing colored smoke from canisters and screaming, "tanashahi nahi chalegi" (dictatorship will not prevail).

Police had been interrogating Kumawat along with his cousin Kailash since morning before making the arrest. According to PTI, 'mastermind'

Lalit Jha

, who has also been arrested, had fled to Nagaur, Rajasthan after the incident where the cousins had arranged for his stay.
According to ANI, Kumawat was associated with the other accused for the last two years and was part of the conspiracy. The police said that he attended almost all the meetings and was actively involved in the act of destruction of a mobile phone and evidence with the key accused Lalit Jha.

Jha, originally from West Bengal, was placed in seven-day police custody on Friday. A senior police official stated that Jha would be taken to Rajasthan to locate the spots where he disposed of his phone and destroyed the phones of others.
Highlighting a significant challenge in the case, the officer emphasised the absence of the accused's mobile phones.

Watch Lok Sabha security breach: How ‘Drama’ unfolded on 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack