Polygraph test for 5 in Parliament case
NEW DELHI: The five accused who were arrested in connection to the December 13 Parliament security breach incident gave their consent before a Delhi court on Friday to conduct their polygraph test while the only woman among the accused in the case, Neelam Azad, refused to consent for polygraph test.
The accused were brought before the Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Court in the national capital at the end of their previous custody by Delhi Police The court also extended the police custody of all the accused persons, including Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Neelam Azad, Lalit Jha, and Mahesh Kumawat by eight days.
Earlier, Delhi Police had moved an application before Patiala House Court seeking to conduct polygraph test on all the accused persons as part of the investigation into the Parliament security breach case. According to the investigation, accused Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma were involved in the security breach at the new Parliament building on December 13, 2023, after they jumped into the chamber of the House from the visitors’ gallery, diffusing yellow gas from smoke canisters that they allegedly carried in their shoes.
Neelam, besides another accused Amol Shinde, were arrested from outside the Parliament at the same time after similar act of ‘protest’ with smoke canisters while shouting slogans such as “Tanashahi nahi chalegi” (‘Dictatorship will not be tolerated.’) On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea moved by Neelam Azad seeking immediate release while also alleging that her police remand was illegal.
Dismissing Neelam’s habeas corpus plea, a division bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and comprising Justice Manoj Jain noted that her bail plea is pending before the trial court. Arguing there is a violation of her fundamental rights, Neelam’s counsel further said, she was not allowed to get legal help from a lawyer. “I was not allowed to talk to my lawyer.
They restrained me from talking to a lawyer. It is an admitted fact, it’s in the status report,” it was argued. According to Neelam’s plea, only after the disposal of the remand application, she was asked by the court if she wanted to be represented by an advocate of her choice which she replied in affirmative. Accordingly, an order was passed permitting the petitioner to consult her advocate, her plea contended.
On Tuesday, Patiala House Court had sought Delhi Police’s response on the bail plea moved by Neelam which has cited that she was allegedly produced in the court 29 hours after her arrest violating the rights as per the constitution.
‘They restrained me from talking to a lawyer’
Neelam Azad had earlier moved the Delhi High Court seeking immediate release while also alleging that her police remand was illegal. Arguing there is violation of her fundamental rights, Neelam’s counsel said, she was not allowed to get legal help from a lawyer. According to plea, only after disposal of the remand application, she was asked by the court if she wanted to be represented by an advocate.