The man, who was later identified as Vimal Raj, was detained by Delhi Police. (ANI)
In a major security lapse, a knife-wielding man forcibly tried to enter Kerala House in Jantar Mantar while state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was inside. Police said the man was mentally unstable and has been sent to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences’ in Shahdara.
In a video released by news agency ANI, the man, who was later identified as Vimal Raj, is seen carrying sheets of paper, a knife, and the national flag. Clad in white, Raj is seen shouting at the security guards, asking them to stay away. “I do not want anything from the CM,” he is heard saying.
#WATCH: Man tries to barge inside Kerala House in Delhi with a knife. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was present inside. Police says, ‘the man is 80% mentally unstable & has been sent to Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences’. pic.twitter.com/j2frHaYBUY
— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2018
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Madhur Verma said, “The incident occurred at around 10 am after which the security staff informed the police about it. The man was identified as Vimal Raj (46), a native of Kerala’s Karippuzha.”
According to police, Vimal Raj appeared to be mentally unstable. (ANI)
According to police, Raj appeared to be mentally unstable. “The medical documents he was carrying have suggested that he is 80 per cent mentally unsound. He is now being sent to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IBHAS), Shahdara as per the law,” the DCP said.
Condemning the incident, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said “there should be no place for knives, guns or mob lynchers” in the country. Taking to Twitter, he said, “Just spoke to Pinarayi Vijayan to express my concern over the attempted assault on him in Delhi. The politics of violence must end in India. I call on @PMOIndia to send a strong message to all that in our democracy there is no place for knives, guns or mob-lynchers.”
Just spoke to @vijayanpinarayi to express my concern over the attempted assault on him in Delhi. The politics of violence must end in India. I call on @PMOIndia to send a strong message to all that in our democracy there is no place for knives, guns or mob-lynchers. @CMOKerala
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 4, 2018