New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- Opposing the bail pleas of three accused in the 2023 Parliament security breach case, police on Monday told the Delhi High Court here that carrying inflammable material inside the Parliament in smoke canisters and "terrorising the minds" of the parliamentarians cannot be condoned.

The counsel for the Delhi Police said Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma were the "lead players" in the "high-level" conspiracy, and their actions created havoc, which was seen live on television. A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Sudha Jain was hearing the bail plea by the accused Manoranjan D, Sharma and Lalit Jha.

"There was a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the country. They terrorised the minds of the parliamentarians, the staff and those watching," said the police counsel.

The Delhi Police lawyer further stated that the pamphlets with the accused carried an "open threat" to the prime minister and they intended to "usurp power".

Use of smoke canisters containing inflammatory material and jumping into the Parliament cannot be condoned, he submitted. He also said that if released, the accused could influence the material witnesses, who were yet to be examined, and could also flee from trial.

The senior counsel for the accused, however, said the high court has already granted bail to two co-accused in the case.

He urged the court to grant the relief to the three applicants as well, saying the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future as even the charges were yet to be framed.

On being informed that the trial court was scheduled to take up the case on February 6, the court said it would hear the matter on March 17.

"Let's see if charges are framed (by then)," the bench said. The senior lawyer for the accused reiterated that while the Parliament was the temple of democracy and their way of "protest" might not be right, the court should consider that they were not terrorists and nobody was injured.

On December 13, 2023, marking the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, accused Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery, released yellow gas and raised slogans before being restrained by MPs. Simultaneously, Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad allegedly sprayed coloured gas outside, shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi." Delhi Police filed an FIR under IPC and UAPA. Neelam Azad and Mahesh Kumawat were granted bail in July 2025.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.