Who is Lalit Jha, the 'mastermind' behind Parliament breach?

Lalit Mohan Jha, the alleged 'mastermind' behind the recent breach of Parliament security, was arrested by the Delhi Police on Thursday night, December 14th. Jha, a key accused, is believed to have orchestrated the well-planned intrusion into the Lok Sabha, as reported by PTI.

The incident, which occurred on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, involved six individuals, with four of them being charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged terrorism.

Jha's arrest

• Lalit Mohan Jha, accompanied by an associate, surrendered at the Kartavya Path Police station and was subsequently handed over to the Delhi Police Special Cell, responsible for investigating the case.
• Additionally, police investigations revealed that Jha had allegedly shared a video of the attack with an associate via WhatsApp.
• At the time of arrest, no mobile phone was recovered from Lalit, as reported by PTI.
• "It was a well-planned attack on Parliament," stated the police after the initial interrogation of the four accused.
• The four accused individuals are facing charges under various sections, including punishment for a terrorist act, conspiracy, trespass, and obstruction of public officials.
• Vishal Sharma, also known as Vickey, in whose house the accused stayed in Gurugram before reaching Parliament, is still under detention, according to PTI.

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Initial arrests

• The Delhi Police had already arrested the two accused who jumped into the Lok Sabha and set off smoke canisters; and two other protestors from the Parliament's periphery on December 13, following the incident.
• They have been sent to a seven-day police custody, reported PTI.
• The fifth accused was nabbed by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on the following day.

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Motive

• According to India Today, citing police sources, the accused claimed to share a common ideology and aimed to "give a message to the government."
• Their discontent with issues such as the farmers' protest, ethnic conflicts in Manipur, and unemployment allegedly motivated them to carry out the act.
• The group, consisting of six individuals, connected through social media and joined a 'Bhagat Singh fan page' on Facebook.
• "They wanted to commit an act that could draw the country's attention," said investigators.

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Who is Lalit Jha?

• Jha, originally from Bihar, previously worked as a teacher in Kolkata and had been evading authorities following the incident.
• Known to be a reserved individual who taught local students in Kolkata, he abruptly departed from the area two years ago.
• Inspired by the ideals of freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Jha recorded videos of the deployment of smoke canisters outside Parliament.
• He held the position of general secretary within an NGO operated by Nilaksha Aich.In a bid to ensure media coverage, he recorded and forwarded videos of the incident to a close associate before fleeing to Nagaur, Rajasthan.
• Eventually, he stayed in a hotel before returning to Delhi to surrender, driven by a sense of realisation, as reported by ANI.

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