Parliament security breach case: Accused change counsel, judicial custody extended, next hearing on March 11

In a recent development in the Parliament Security Breach case, all six accused have opted for a change in legal representation, opting for a unified counsel to represent them collectively. This decision was made apparent during the latest court appearance, where Judge Hardeep Kaur presided over the proceedings.

During the hearing, the court extended the judicial custody of the accused by another 30 days, following an initial extension until March 1, 2024, previously granted on January 31. Present in the courtroom were all six accused individuals, who faced the judge as their custody was prolonged.

The courtroom witnessed a significant revelation during the proceedings when one of the accused, Neelam Azad, disclosed instances of coercion by law enforcement officers. Azad alleged that she was forced to sign 52 blank papers by a female officer, prompting her counsel, Suresh Chaudhary, to bring this matter to the attention of the court. Consequently, the court instructed the counsel to file an appropriate application addressing these allegations.

In earlier developments, five out of the six accused had agreed to undergo polygraph tests, while Neelam Azad had refused. Additionally, two of the accused, Manoranjan and Sagar, had consented to Narco Analysis and Brain Mapping tests. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Akhand Pratap Singh reiterated the importance of conducting polygraph tests on all accused individuals, alongside Narco and Brain mapping tests on specific individuals.

The Parliament Security Breach case stems from an incident occurring on the anniversary of the Parliament attack on December 13, implicating all six accused individuals in the alleged breach.