Shimla: High drama unfolded across Shimla’s winding roads for nearly 24 hours on Wednesday as a special Delhi Police team locked horns with Himachal Pradesh Police in a jurisdictional confrontation over three Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists arrested for their role in the February 20 shirtless protest at New Delhi’s AI Impact Summit.
It all began at the crack of dawn when the Delhi team, comprising 15-20 officers , raided a Rohru resort in Shimla district, nabbing Saurabh Singh, a resident of Amethi in UP, Arbaaz Ahmed Khan of Sultanpur in UP, and Siddharth Avdhoot of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.
These IYC workers had gone into hiding after the shirtless protest at the India-US hosted event in Bharat Mandapam on February 20. With the trio in custody, the Delhi squad sped toward Shimla’s local court to secure a crucial transit remand, allowing them to bring the accused back to the national capital.
It was while racing toward Shimla court for transit remand, they hit the first roadblock at Dharampur, where Himachal Pradesh Police intercepted them. Citing procedural lapses, local officers demanded copies of the FIR and court orders sanctioning the cross-state operation documents the Delhi team claimed they possessed. Court staff were reportedly unavailable, stalling the remand process which only
added fresh fuel into the brewing conflict.
Tensions mounted in the afternoon at the second blockade, the Shoghi barrier. Himachal cops formally detained the entire Delhi police team, slapping kidnapping charges under BNS sections like 140(3) for what they deemed an unauthorised arrest on their turf. “There, we were told that we had been booked for kidnapping, and were detained,” a source who is part of the Delhi Police team, was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
The Himachal Pradesh Police, however, alleged that two Delhi Police teams attempted to re-enter their jurisdiction after arresting the three accused.
As evening wore on, the standoff dragged into a midnight courtroom proceedings in Shimla. After hours of legal wrangling, including mutual accusations of protocol violations, the judge ruled in Delhi’s favour around 1 am Thursday, granting the transit remand while registering an FIR at Chirgaon police station against the visiting officers, as a parting shot.
By early Thursday morning, around 6 am, Delhi Police handed over a formal seizure memo for key evidence — the DVR footage — and the accused’s vehicle. With all obstacles cleared, the team left Shoghi barrier for Delhi.
“Delhi Police has left from the Shoghi barrier in Shimla. Delhi Police has given the seizure memo to Shimla Police. Delhi Police officials have taken along the DVR and seized the vehicle of the accused. Now, Delhi Police will produce the three accused before the local magistrate,” a Delhi officer confirmed to ANI:
Prior to Wednesday’s drama, the Delhi Police had already arrested eight people in connection with the protest. IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib is among those who have been arrested.