Delhi Assembly breach: SUV driver linked to farmers’ stir; mental health under lens

The man behind the security breach at the Delhi Assembly on Monday (April 6) is believed to be a supporter of the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation with a history of mental health issues.

According to news agency PTI, his background has raised multiple lines of inquiry for investigators.

Sarabjeet Singh, a 37-year-old resident of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended two hours after he drove an SUV through one of the boundary gates of the assembly and placed a flower bouquet in the Speaker’s vehicle parked on the porch. He has been booked for attempt to murder, among other charges.

Mental health being assessed

According to preliminary findings, Sarabjeet left his home on April 1 and remained largely untraceable for five days before the incident. In this period, he contacted his family only once and did not disclose his location or travel plans.

“He travelled to Bareilly on April 2 and subsequently reached Delhi on the day of the breach,” PTI quoted a well-placed source as saying.

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He also said that his family members told police that he becomes “difficult to control during such periods of illness” and that he often does not respond to family members during such episodes.

However, police said the exact state of his mental health is still being assessed as part of the ongoing probe and a medical examination is awaited.

Active supporter of farmers’ protest

The source told PTI Sarabjeet was an active supporter of the farmers’ protest and had shared multiple posts on social media expressing solidarity with farmer leaders who died during the agitation. Several of these posts and videos were later deleted.

Investigators are also examining videos in which he is allegedly seen driving the same SUV at extremely high speeds, reportedly exceeding 150 kmph on empty roads. The vehicle, bearing an Uttar Pradesh registration number from Pilibhit, was bought only in February.

On the day of the incident, Sarabjeet is believed to have acted alone. Around 2 pm, he drove the SUV at a high speed, rammed through Gate No. 2 of the assembly premises to enter the complex around 2 pm. His car approached from the Delhi University side, took a sharp turn, broke the boom barriers, and entered the premises, police said.

He then allegedly placed a bouquet and garland inside the official vehicle of Speaker Vijender Gupta and briefly sat inside the car before fleeing through the same gate.

Witnesses describe incident

On the way, he hit an e-rickshaw outside and crashed into a gate on the way in at a very high speed, eyewitnesses told PTI.

The car appeared to be moving at around 60 to 70 kmph, said the e-rickshaw driver whose vehicle was hit. “I had parked my e-rickshaw outside Gate No. 2 of the Vidhan Sabha and was waiting for customers near the Metro gate when I heard a loud crash as the car hit the iron gate,” said Gaurav, the e-rickshaw driver.

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He usually ferries passengers between the Vidhan Sabha Metro station and Majnu ka Tila. By the time he reached his vehicle, a crowd had gathered, he said.

He said the e-rickshaw was damaged in the incident: a part of the rear portion of his e-rickshaw came apart, the tail light was shattered and the handle got bent. “I won’t even get any claim for the repairs,” he said with a sigh, estimating that the repair would cost around Rs 4,000.

The driver further said that said a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel present at the gate tried to alert police and other authorities when the car broke in but it fled before they could respond.

Motive unknown

Police said the accused has not yet disclosed the motive behind his actions. His movements, call records and digital footprint are being analysed to determine whether he was influenced by any person or group.

He was eventually apprehended along with two other persons from a police picket near a nala in the Roop Nagar area after an alert was issued across the city.

“All individuals are currently being questioned, and further investigation is underway,” read the statement.

Delhi Police statement

Delhi Police, in a statement, said that at around 2.10 pm, a white SUV forcefully entered the premises of the Delhi Assembly through Gate No. 2. “One individual, alighted from the vehicle and proceeded towards the porch area carrying a bouquet and a garland (mala) of marigold flowers. It is pertinent to mention that the Vidhan Sabha was not in session at the time,” read the statement of the Delhi Police.

The accused drove the vehicle in a dangerous manner with apparent intent to run over security personnel on duty, thereby endangering their lives, a senior police officer said. When security staff tried to catch Sarabjeet, he fled.

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A case has been registered at Civil Lines under appropriate sections of law, including attempt to murder, criminal trespass with preparation to commit offence, use of criminal force against a public servant, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, along with other relevant provisions pertaining to obstruction of public servants in discharge of duty.

Entire incident took place within 5–7 minutes

Police said that a thorough sweep of the assembly premises by multiple teams, including a bomb disposal squad, found nothing suspicious.

“It is too early to comment on the motive. The accused is being questioned and we are probing all angles,” police said, adding that the entire incident took place within five to seven minutes.

An assembly official said the breach raised serious concerns about the security at the Vidhan Sabha. “The car managed to break through a closed gate and remained parked inside for nearly five minutes without raising an alarm,” the official said.

The assembly has six gates. Gate No. 2 is designated for VIP movement and is usually opened only during special events, while Gate No. 1 and the service gate handle regular access, he added.

AAP raises security concerns

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised concerns over security arrangements in the national capital after the incident. In a post on X, AAP MLA and Chief Whip Sanjeev Jha termed the incident a “serious lapse” and sought clarity on the overall security mechanism in the city.

Sharing a photograph of the damaged gate on X, Jha said a vehicle entering a high-security zone like the Assembly by breaking through the gate raises questions about existing safeguards. “On one hand, opposition MLAs are stopped at the gate, while on the other, a vehicle manages to enter directly,” he said.

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Referring to recent incidents, Jha said, “Continuous bomb threats, an attack on the chief minister, and now this incident – Is this what the capital’s security system amounts to?” There was no immediate response available from the Assembly.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also posted on X and said, “Any kind of attack or violence is shameful; however, more shameful is the bias of BJP-controlled authorities.” He claimed that around 10 days back, the car of AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar was attacked right in front of police personnel, and its window was broken.

Bharadwaj added, “The speaker of the Assembly should have pulled up the police for failing to protect the MLA of the house. The speaker is supposed to be a guardian of the house.”

(With agency inputs)