Delhi Assembly security scare: Masked man puts bouquet in speaker’s car – what we know so far

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Monday detained three suspects for violating security rules in the Delhi Assembly and placing bouquets and garlands in the Speaker’s car parked on the porch before escaping.According to officials, around 2 pm, an SUV with a license plate number from the Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh broke through Gate 2 and entered the rally venue, triggering a high alert.

The vehicle was recovered and the detainees are being questioned, according to police.What we know so farThe accused placed a bouquet of flowers and a garland in the Speaker’s official car, which was parked on the porch of the Speaker’s office, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing sources.The bouquets and wreaths were later removed and placed near the porch amid suspicions they might contain explosives, they said.Nothing suspicious was found inside the parliamentary grounds after multiple police teams and bomb squads carried out a thorough sweep of the area to rule out any threats. “Nothing suspicious was found. However, forensic teams visited the location twice to understand the sequence of events and collect evidence from the scene,” officials said.Forensic experts also examined the bouquet, the Press Trust of India reported.“The whole incident happened very quickly, only five to seven minutes,” the officer said.“It is too early to comment on the motive behind the entire incident. Our team is questioning him. The motive is not yet clear. But we are investigating the entire incident from all possible angles,” said a police officer who requested anonymity, referring to a recent bomb threat made to Parliament.Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha and Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ravindra Yadav also reached the spot soon after the incident and are overseeing the investigation.Police examined CCTV footage in and around the area to reconstruct the sequence of events, Yadav said.“Following the incident, police provided information regarding the incident and alerted neighboring state and local police stations with details of the suspect car.“Several roadblocks and pickets were erected on roads across the national capital and the car was spotted near the Roop Nagar police picket. The driver of the car tried to escape at speed but the security personnel stopped him and detained him,” the officer said.who is the suspectMeanwhile, CCTV footage showed the suspect, identified by police as Sarabjit Singh, carrying a bag and a bouquet of flowers.According to news agency ANI, Sarabjit left Pilibhit on April 1 and had been missing for five days before the incident. He traveled to Bareilly on April 2 and later arrived in Delhi on the day of the incident. He did not inform his family of his whereabouts or the purpose of his trip. Family members said his behavior became uncontrollable during his illness. They also said he didn’t listen to anyone in his family in this situation. Why did the violation occur?According to officials, the car was driven in a reckless manner and was coming from the Delhi University side. The driver swerved to the left, crashed the vehicle into the gate, broke through the fence and entered the rally grounds.Sources told PTI that since it was not a gate, a Central Reserve Police Force personnel was deployed at the gate. When the House is not in session, there is relatively little security around.Delhi Assembly Gate No. 2 is designated as a VIP gate and is open only during important events, while Gate No. 1 is open only during important events. 1. The service door is used for regular access.Police said the parliament building has four doors, of which door No. 1 is the main entrance. Most of the CRPF personnel are deployed there. Another senior official said that a total of 22 CRPF personnel and 70 to 80 police personnel are deployed in the Vidhan Sabha every day.According to sources, a Central Reserve Police personnel was deployed at the gate as it was not the main entrance. When the House is not in session, there is relatively little security around.Delhi Secretariat officials said the incident raised “serious” security concerns and authorities viewed it as a potential “security breach”.“What is particularly concerning is that the vehicle managed to break through the closed gate and remained parked on the premises for nearly five minutes without sounding any alarm,” said Kanchan Azad, deputy director of the Speaker’s media office.The incident comes on the heels of a bomb threat received by the Assembly during the recently concluded budget session.