The Delhi police has arrested a person who on Thursday afternoon attempted to enter the high security North Block, which houses the home ministry and other government departments, with two live cartridges inside a bag.
Police officials said the accused, Moti Lal, was accompanying one Mukesh Kumar, a village sarpanch, to the office of the minister of state for finance in North Block. Both are from Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district.
The two were intercepted by security officials at Gate No. 2 outside North Block at around 2.30 pm.
“X-ray scanners detected the presence of suspicious objects in their briefcase. When the briefcase was opened, two live 9 mm cartridges were recovered from it. The bag was carried by Moti Lal but both were taken to the police station,” a police official said.
The official added, “The security agencies asked them to explain and they told the police that they wanted to meet Namo Narain Meena, MoS, finance, to invite him to a wedding party. Both feigned ignorance about the cartridges. We informed the police and Lal was booked under the Arms Act.”
Sources said the two had earlier visited Mr Meena’s residence but he had left for his office.
They were carrying a wedding card ostensibly meant for Mr Meena.
“They don’t have an arms licence and could not explain the presence of cartridges. Mr Kumar has not been charged as the cartridges were in Lal’s bag,” the official said.