A six-member Delhi Police Special Cell team arrived in Lucknow on Sunday to investigate the Parliament security breach case and look for the cobbler who allegedly altered the shoes that one of the main accused Sagar Sharma used to sneak a smoke canister into the Lok Sabha chamber on Wednesday (December 13).
Despite initial plans, the Delhi Police, however, did not bring Sagar with them to the state capital due to “law and order concerns”, a person familiar with the matter said.
The Delhi Police team’s arrival came on a day on which Sagar’s father Roshan Lal Sharma said the shoes were bought for about ₹700 from a Lucknow shop only a week ago.
“Before going to Delhi, son had bought new shoes for ₹700. He even showed it to everyone,” said Roshal Lal. The father said he recognised the shoes, images of which had been doing the rounds on social media and news channels.
Sagar, one of the main accused in the case, is currently in seven-day remand of the Delhi Police.
“The Special Cell officers visited Sagar’s Alambagh residence, reportedly to verify his background, contacts, and most importantly, identify the cobbler who modified the shoes, and the shop from where they were purchased,” the person familiar with the matter said.
{{/usCountry}}“The Special Cell officers visited Sagar’s Alambagh residence, reportedly to verify his background, contacts, and most importantly, identify the cobbler who modified the shoes, and the shop from where they were purchased,” the person familiar with the matter said.
{{/usCountry}}Though Sagar Sharma did not come to Lucknow, he connected via video conferencing during the proceedings and reportedly told the team that he bought the shoes from Sadana Footwear in Alambagh.
TEAM VISITS SHOP IN NATKHEDA MARKET
Those privy to the investigation revealed that Sagar’s sports shoes were a crucial piece of evidence. Officers had found that a cavity was created by cutting the inner sole, with an additional rubber sole affixed at the bottom to accommodate the canister and maintain the shoe’s appearance.
The team visited the shop in Natkheda Market in Alambagh and questioned the owner Deepak Sadana.
The Special Cell team questioned Sharma’s family members at his residence. The team, headed by an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) rank officer, took around 30 minutes to interview his father, mother, and sister before seizing his belongings, including winter clothes and stationery items.
The Delhi team also examined the shop’s CCTV footage and took possession of the recording device.
The shop owner told the police, “Many people buy shoes from the shop here daily and it was impossible to remember everyone’s specific appearance.”
The owner also told police that receipt for the shoes was not given, or demanded, in view of the Diwali rush at the shop when the purchase was made.
Earlier in the day, Sagar’s father said, “He told us about the new shoes but we did not know it would be used as a means to carry the canisters inside Parliament premises.”
When asked where Sagar bought the shoes, the father said, “He bought it somewhere near Alambagh, but I don’t remember exactly where. Only Sagar can say.”
BANK TRANSACTIONS UNDER SCANNER
Earlier, on Friday (December 15), a two-member police team in civvies questioned Sagar Sharma’s father Roshal Lal Sharma, mother Rani, his sister Mahi, as well as maternal uncle Pradeep Sharma, separately for several hours at their Alambagh house. Later, the police personnel seized all of Sagar’s belongings from the family’s rented house in the presence of the parents.
“They took the documents related to Sagar and got them signed on the list. They also took passbooks of bank accounts,” the father said.
A police officer unwilling to be named said, “The police are investigating the details of where the money came from and where it went. The amount in the accounts is not much, but information about the people with whom the transactions took place is important. Every aspect is being investigated by seizing the bank passbook, pocket diary, books and travel tickets and documents kept in the file found in his house.”