Delhi Assembly breach: Court sends SUV driver to 5-day judicial custody

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent to five days’ judicial custody a man who breached security at the Assembly by forcing his way into the complex in an SUV.

Sarabjeet Singh was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Harshita Mishra upon the expiry of his eight-day police custody granted on April 7.

Representing him, advocate Anshu Shukla opposed further police custody citing the accused’s deteriorating mental health condition. He had earlier argued before a separate magisterial court that Sarabjeet had been mentally ill for a long time and mistakenly entered the Assembly “thinking it was a gurdwara.”

The investigating officer(IO) told the court that Sarabjeet was referred to the Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS) Hospital to be assessed for his alleged mental illness. He was briefly admitted to the hospital and prescribed medication for his condition.

Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava highlighted the need for custody as the investigation was still at a nascent stage and the Test Identification Parade (TIP) was pending.

Sarabjeet, 37, is believed to be a follower of the farmers’ agitation. He has shared several posts on social media platforms expressing support for farmer leaders who lost their lives during a 2020-21 agitation against three contentious farm laws that have since been repealed. Some of this content was later deleted.

The sports utility vehicle (SUV), bearing an Uttar Pradesh registration from Pilibhit, rammed through Gate No 2 of the Delhi Assembly around 2 pm on April 6.

According to police sources, the vehicle came from the Delhi University side, took a sharp turn, broke the boom barriers and entered the premises.

The Assembly has six gates, with Gate No 2 designated for VIP movement and exclusively opened only during special events, while Gate No 1 and the service gate handle regular access.

A case has been registered at the Civil Lines Police Station under the charges of attempt to murder, criminal trespass, use of criminal force against a public servant, Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and obstructing public servants in the discharge of duty.