Lalit Jha’s brother expresses shock over his involvement in Parliament security breach

Kolkata, Dec 15 (PTI) Shambhu Jha, the elder brother of Lalit Mohan Jha, the alleged mastermind behind the Parliament security breach, expressed shock, stating that the entire family is still in a state of disbelief.

Lalit was arrested in New Delhi on Thursday evening. Accompanied by an individual, Lalit reached the Kartavya Path police station in the national capital, where he was handed over to the special cell.

“We don’t know how he got involved in all this. He always stayed away from trouble. He was a calm and quiet kid since childhood and was very introvert. We knew he was involved with NGOs and, apart from being a private tutor, we are really shocked to see his images on television channels,” Shambhu told reporters.

Since Wednesday night, Shambhu’s phone has not stopped ringing, with both police and relatives inquiring about the whereabouts of Jha.

“We last saw him on December 10 when we left for our hometown in Bihar. He came with us to see us off at Sealdah station. The next day he called us and said he was going to New Delhi for some personal work. That was the last time we spoke with him,” he said.

Neighbours of Lalit were surprised to see his images on news channels, recalling him as a reserved individual who seldom engaged with the community at Burrabazar in Kolkata.

The family later shifted to Baguiati in North 24 Parganas district.

Papun Shaw, a tea stall owner at Rabindra Sarani in Burrabazar area, the business district of the city, identified Lalit as a ‘teacher’ who disappeared two years ago.

Shaw said, “He was known as a teacher, used to teach local students. A few years ago, he came to the area and was living alone. He hardly used to interact with locals. At times, he would have tea at my stall. He used to keep a very low profile. He suddenly left the area two years ago and never returned.”