AI protest fallout: 20 Delhi cops detained, freed, halted again in Himachal Pradesh after arrests of Youth Congress members

SHIMLA: A major inter-state jurisdictional row erupted Wednesday after Shimla Police registered an FIR against nearly 20 Delhi Police personnel for the alleged abduction of three Youth Congress members. The incident sparked a standoff with the Delhi team being detained at Dharampur, released by a court in Shimla, and then detained again at Shoghi.

Later, Delhi Police arranged for the medical examinations for the three arrested Youth Congress workers — Arbaz, Siddharth, and Saurabh — at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Shimla. At present the medical examination is being conducted and thereafter the Delhi police are going to produce these accused before the Shimla CJM court and would seek their transit remand.




Read more: AI summit protest fallout: From 5.30am knock to midnight standoff — the day Delhi and Himachal Police locked horns


According to a statement, Shimla Police received information on Wednesday morning that 15–20 unidentified individuals in plain clothes arrived at a resort in Mandli village in Chirgaon, Rohru, and forcibly took away three guests staying there. The individuals also allegedly seized a Mahindra Thar vehicle belonging to the guests and removed the DVR of CCTV cameras installed at Chanshal Resort without issuing any seizure memo or receipt, the Shimla police said. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Chirgaon police station, and an investigation was initiated.

Upon learning of the operation, Himachal Pradesh Police set up a checkpoint at Dharampur in Solan district and detained the Delhi Police team, along with the three detained individuals, in the afternoon. The group was escorted to the Shimla district court, where Delhi Police presented documents related to the Delhi FIR. Himachal authorities termed the arrests "illegal", arguing that local police were not informed prior to the action, while Delhi Police accused their counterparts of obstructing official duty. The court later permitted Delhi Police to take the trio to Delhi for further proceedings.

However, as the team proceeded towards Delhi in the evening, Shimla Police stopped them again near Shoghi, informing them that an FIR was registered against them for the alleged abduction and directing them to join the investigation.

The Delhi Police earlier, on Feb 21, conducted a raid at Himachal Sadan in Delhi, as it had information that the Youth Congress members who participated in the protest at the Bharat Mandapam were staying there. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who was also in Delhi along with other ministers, on that day condemned the Delhi Police action, stating that they should at least inform the Himachal govt officials.