Parliament security breach: Accused smuggled smoke canisters inside cavity of shoe soles, say police

Four people charged with terrorism for smuggling smoke canisters in custom-made shoes and shouting slogans in Lok Sabha.

The two persons who opened smoke canisters in the Lok Sabha chamber had smuggled them in cavities cut into the left sole of custom-made sports shoes supported by thick rubber layers, according to Delhi Police's FIR.

The pamphlets that the duo — Manorajan D and Sagar Sharma — carried into the Lok Sabha had the picture of a fist against the backdrop of a tricolour, a slogan in Hindi and a slogan in English on the Manipur violence issue.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, Sagar and Manoranjan jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour on Wednesday, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.

Around the same time, two others — Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi —  sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi" outside Parliament premises.

Police have filed terrorism charges under the stringent UAPA against the four people.

According to the FIR, the smoke canisters, which were opened inside and outside Parliament, had warnings and instructions to "wear goggles and gloves" while opening.

A cavity was cut into the left sole of the LCR-made grey coloured sports shoes of Sagar Sharma. The thickness of the soles was increased by affixing additional rubber to support the cavity, it stated, adding that Manoranjan D's sports shoes too had a similar cavity in the left sole.