New Delhi: The Patiala House Court in New Delhi has taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police in the Parliament security breach case where all six arrested have been charged under the provisions of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The nearly 1,000-page chargsheet, submitted to Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur, accuses D. Manoranjan, a resident of Mysuru, as the mastermind behind the two-year conspiracy that led to the attack. Filed in June, the Court officially took cognisance of the charges last month, with a supplementary charge sheet added in July.

On Dec. 13 last year, Manoranjan, along with co-accused Sagar Sharma, entered the Parliament with smoke canisters hidden in their shoes, executing a daring breach by leaping into the MPs’ seating area from the  visitors’ gallery.

According to the charge sheet, the accused aimed to discredit India’s democracy, achieve global fame, seize power and attain ‘richness and glory’ by attacking this symbolic institution.

Plot unfolded over two years

The plot, which began with social media connections, unfolded over two years, culminating in the 2023 assault on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. Their first in-person meeting took place in Mysuru in February 2022. In total, they held five key meetings in Mysuru, Gurugram and Delhi to finalise their plans and determine their modus operandi.

According to the charge sheet, Manoranjan is believed to be the key conspirator, allegedly instigating and motivating young individuals with promises of wealth and glory. Driven by his ‘ultra Maoist-inspired ideology,’ Manoranjan targeted the Parliament to gain instant and lasting attention.

Sources quoting the charge sheet revealed that the accused aimed to send a broader message that ‘Indian democracy is ineffective and needs replacement.’ All six accused are currently lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi.

Manoranjan, who dropped out of an engineering course, travelled to Cambodia in 2014, where he stayed for eight months. Upon returning to India, he embarked on a motorcycle journey to Ladakh in 2015, mirroring the famed ‘Motorcycle Diaries’ by Che Guevara, the Cuban revolutionary. A Chinese student, then studying in Hyderabad, accompanied him as a pillionrider to Delhi via Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

First meeting in Mysuru

The charge sheet further disclosed that the first meeting of the conspirators took place in February 2022 at a flat in Mysuru, belonging to a friend of Manoranjan. Ten people, including Manoranjan, Sagar Sharma, Amol Shinde, Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat, attended this meeting.

Manoranjan showed videos of violent protests and proposed forming an organisation. They also discussed using ‘protective gel’ for their attack inside and outside the Parliament.

In their second meeting, held at a hotel in Gurugram in August 2022, seven people attended, as some had backed out after realising the gravity of the plan. It was during this meeting that they decided to include a woman, leading to Neelam’s induction into the group.

The third meeting, held in Paharganj, Delhi, in August 2023, solidified their decision to use smoke canisters in Parliament. All six accused were present. They reconvened in September 2023 at the same Paharganj hotel to finalise entry passes and the use of smoke canisters for their attack during the winter session.

Their final meeting took place in Gurugram and near India Gate on Dec. 13, 2023, the day they executed their plan.