Delhi Police detain Karnataka ex-top cop’s son in Parliament security breach case

Delhi Police detained Saikrishna Jagali, an engineer from Karnataka and the son of a retired police officer, in connection with the massive security breach in Parliament last week. Saikrishna, a friend and batchmate of intruder Manoranjan D, was apprehended from his home in Bagalkote and is being brought to the national capital. Manoranjan, one of the four accused facing charges under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, had trespassed into the Lok Sabha chamber, setting off coloured smoke.

According to reports, Saikrishna and Manoranjan were batchmates at a Bengaluru engineering college, and the latter named Saikrishna during questioning. Saikrishna, an engineer and the son of a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, had been working from his Bagalkote home. His sister, Spanda, asserted to the media that he "did no wrong" and confirmed their full cooperation with the inquiry. Saikrishna and Manoranjan had been roommates during their college days.

A total of six people has been arrested in connection with the security breach. The accused, including Manoranjan and Sagar Sharma (who trespassed into the Lok Sabha), Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad (responsible for deploying smoke canisters outside Parliament), Lalit Jha (believed to be the mastermind), and Mahesh Kumawat (who allegedly assisted Jha), conveyed to the police that their objective was to draw attention to issues such as the Manipur unrest, unemployment, and farmers' concerns. Despite these claims, the police emphasize that they are investigating all angles surrounding the incident.