Delhi’s Patiala House Court on January 2, directed the Delhi police to file a reply on the bail plea of Neelam Azad, accused in the Parliament security breach case. The hearing has been listed for January 10.
Meanwhile, the court has listed the hearing on the application of Delhi police seeking permission for conducting a polygraph test of all six accused on January 5.
Police have sought permission for conducting brain mapping and Narco analysis of Manoranjan and Sagar.
The court adjourned the matter as the legal aid counsel appointed by the court was not available and sought time.
All the accused, Lalit Jha, Manoranjan, Sagar, Amol Shinde, Mahesh Kumawat and Neelam Azad, were produced before the court amid tight security.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur directed Delhi police to file a reply on the bail application and fixed the hearing for January 10.
Neelam Azad has moved a bail plea through advocate Suresh Chaudhary. She has sought bail on the grounds of violation of Article 22 by not producing her before the court within 24 hours of the arrest.
It is stated that the accused is a co-conspirator in a parliament security breach dated December 13, 2023, and was arrested outside the parliament building on December 13, 2023, at 1:18 PM. The same was broadcast live on news channels.
Azad’s bail plea also stated that she was not given adequate time to discuss the circumstances of her arrest with the counsel appointed by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), which prejudiced her case. Advocate Suresh Chaudhary, representing Azad, also wrote in the application that a single DLSA counsel was appointed for all the accused in the case without giving them any choice.
However, she was produced before the court on December 14, 2023, after a period of 29 hours from the time of arrest, as the plea stated.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Akhand Pratap Singh opposed the bail application by stating that the bail application is not maintainable.
During the hearing of the application seeking permission for a polygraph test, the remand counsel, Umakant Kataria, stated that this has to be the last resort when all the alternatives have been exhausted by the investigation agency.
They are saying that they have not explored all the alternatives, he added.
This case pertains to a security breach at parliament on the anniversary of the parliament attack case on December 13, 2023. All six accused persons are booked under UAPA and in the custody of the Special Cell of Delhi Police til January 5, 2024.
(With inputs from ANI)
