The Parliament complex has been closed to visitors following a major breach Wednesday afternoon.
In which two men admitted to the visitors’ gallery popped yellow smoke canisters and one made a run at the Speaker’s Chair. Two others – a man and a woman – opened smoke cans outside the complex.
After the scare, security protocols have been revamped, including allotting separate entrances to MPs, staff members, and the press. Visitors, when allowed back, will enter from a fourth gate.
In addition, the visitors’ gallery will now be encased in glass to stop people from jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber. Body scan machines, similar to those in airports, will be installed in Parliament.
Finally, the number of security personnel deployed inside the House is to be increased.
Parliament Smoke Attack: What We Know
The two men inside have been identified as Sagar Sharma from Lucknow and D Manoranjan from Mysuru – they were overpowered, and thrashed, by MPs. The man and woman outside have been named as Amol Shinde from Latur in Maharashtra and Neelam Devi from Haryana’s Hisar. All four have been arrested and Delhi Police’s anti-terror cell is leading the investigation into the incident.
Two others are also involved in this conspiracy, police sources told NDTV. The fifth has been named as Lalit Jha; the other five stayed at his home in Gurgaon before the incident at Parliament. Jha and the sixth person, Vicky Sharma, possibly another Gurgaon resident, are on the run, sources have said.
The five who have been arrested will be interrogated by Delhi Police’s anti-terror cell.
Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan had visitors passes that were granted on a request by BJP MP Prathap Simha’s office. Mr Simha is the lawmaker from Mysuru. However, as the Congress’ Karti Chidambaram, such requests are routinely made to MPs, and it is the Parliament that issues the passes.
How 2 Men Evaded 4-Tier Security
The security process in use at the old Parliament building was overhauled after the terror attack that took place on this day in 2011. Two Pakistan-based terror groups carried out that attack, in which nine people, including eight staff members, were killed. The three-tier process then was upgraded to four.
The systems in place till this afternoon involved frisking of visitors and checking-in their belongings. Phones, bags, pens, water bottles and even coins were not allowed, and visitors also had to submit their Aadhaar cards. Only after this were they even given passes to enter the Parliament building.
Issue of passes also involves mandatory background checks. Prospective visitors must show a letter of recommendation signed by a MP; in this case that member was the BJP’s Prathap Simha.
Reports indicate the two men who were inside Parliament hid the smoke canisters inside their shoes.
All four have been arrested and Delhi Police’s anti-terror cell is leading the investigation.