Parliament Security Breach: Delhi High Court grants bail to two accused

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Neelam Azad, Mahesh Kumawat, accused in the parliament security breach case of 2023.

A Bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar passed the order.

"We are granting bail on ₹50,000 surety. He shall not give interviews, or make any statement regarding the case before the press or social media. He shall not leave Delhi and appear before investigating agency every Monday Wednesday and Friday," the Court directed.

Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Courts had rejected the bail plea of Azad.

The matter pertains to an incident in which some persons entered the parliament building and threw smoke canisters when the Lok Sabha was in session.

Azad was arrested by the Delhi Police on December 13, 2023 along with three other accused - Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D and Amol Shinde.

While Azad and Shinde were protesting outside parliament building, Sharma and Manoranjan D had entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery with canisters emitting smoke.

Later, Police also arrested alleged mastermind behind the ‘conspiracy’, Lalit Jha and co-accused Mahesh Kumawat.

Before the High Court, the accused persons are challenging the denial of bail by a Special NIA Court.

Azad prayed that she was not part of the alleged conspiracy to carry out any terrorist act inside parliament but rather wanted to only raise social issues and the unemployment crisis.

She said that was an educated lady from Haryana who was working at a private school as a teacher. 

Earlier, the High Court had rejected a habeas corpus plea filed by Azad.