Parliament Security Breach: Custom-Made Shoes Of Intruders Had Extra Padding To Hide Canisters, Says Delhi Police

By OB Bureau On Dec 15, 2023

New Delhi: It has already been reported that Sagar Sharma and D Manoranjan, the two men who popped yellow smoke canisters inside Parliament, sparking a major security scare, made use of a security lapse. They discovered that the shoes are never checked as part of the security check.

On Friday morning, Delhi Police told NDTV how exactly they did it.

The duo smuggled them inside cavities cut into the left sole of custom-made sports shoes, or sneakers. The soles of shoes worn on their left feet, which carried the canisters had extra padding. A second rubber slip was glued to the bottom to support the cavities, the police said in its FIR.

Sagar Sharma wore a pair of khaki-coloured socks with the shoes, which were reportedly made to order in Lucknow, his hometown. Sharma, Manoranjan and the two who popped cans outside Parliament, Neelam Devi and Amol Shinde will be taken to Lucknow to identify the shop that made these shoes, Delhi Police told NDTV.

Sharma wore light grey shoes while Manoranjan’s shoes were a darker grey, the police FIR said. The inside sole of the shoe Manoranjan wore on his right foot also had a cavity, and this too was supported with a second rubber slip fixed to the bottom. Manoranjan wore dark blue socks with his shoes. The shoes and socks have been bagged as part of forensic inquiries, police said. In addition, the police also recovered the canisters Sharma and Manoranjan used, as well as documents confirming their identities; these included Aadhaar cards from Lucknow and Mysuru. Finally, the police also seized two partly torn pamphlets.

One had the phrase ‘Jai Hind’ in English with a picture of a closed fist, in the colours of the Indian flag, and a slogan in Hindi, while the second had an English slogan on ethnic violence in Manipur.

Earlier, the police said Sharma and Manoranjan wanted to deliver these pamphlets to Prime Minister Narendra Modi – not in the House – to highlight issues like unemployment. Police also said they had a pamphlet calling the PM a “missing person” with a cash reward from a Swiss bank on offer, the report added.

Used smoke cans were also recovered from outside Parliament, where Neelam Devi and Amol Shinde staged the other half of Wednesday’s protest. Four cans and some firecrackers were seized. Each of the smoke canisters had warning labels cautioning against use in indoor or crowded places, as also against sale to those below 18 years of age. There were strict warnings on how to use the cans, which included the use of goggles or gloves, and to retreat to a safe distance after activation.

Sharma, Manoranjan, Devi, and Shinde – the four who popped the smoke cans were sent to police custody for week, starting Thursday. The alleged mastermind, Lalit Jha, was arrested last evening after being on the run for over 48 hours; he had fled to Rajasthan before returning to surrender.

Police sources told NDTV they suspect Jha, who filmed the protest outside Parliament and uploaded it online before fleeing, may have destroyed the phones of his accomplices in a bid to destroy critical evidence. A sixth accused, Vicky Sharma, who sheltered the others at his Gurugram home is also in police custody. Police have also named a seventh – Mahesh, a daily wage labourer.