Shirtless protest: Delhi Police catches 3 more in HP

New Delhi/Shimla: Delhi Police has apprehended three more people, including one of the alleged key conspirators, from Himachal Pradesh in connection with the shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress members during the recent AI summit at Bharat Mandapam.Sources said Saurabh had allegedly created a WhatsApp group and was among those who negotiated the procurement of shirts bearing objectionable slogans, with an upfront payment of around Rs 1 lakh. The arrests were marked by high drama as associates of the accused made PCR calls claiming that they were kidnapped by men posing as police.
Himachal Pradesh Police registered an FIR against around 20 Delhi cops for allegedly abducting the trio from Rohru in Shimla without informing local police. ACP Rahul Vikram and inspector Satish Rana were among the Delhi cops detained till late Wednesday. Shimla Police said it was informed that 15-20 unidentified people, dressed in plainclothes, arrived in vehicles and forcibly took away three persons staying at a resort in Mandli, Chirgaon. The group also seized a Thar vehicle belonging to the guests. The DVR of the CCTV cameras installed at the complainant's Chanshal Resort was allegedly taken without any seizure memo or receipt. HP Police set up a checkpoint at Dharampur in Solan district and detained the Delhi Police team, along with the three men. Delhi Police officers maintained they lawfully detained Arbaz, Saurabh and Siddharth, and had proper arrest memos and the required documentation to produce them before a Delhi court. The group was escorted to Shimla district court, where Delhi Police presented documents related to the Delhi FIR. The court permitted Delhi Police to take the trio to Delhi.However, as the team proceeded towards Delhi, Shimla Police stopped them again near Shoghi, informing them that an FIR had been filed and directing them to join the probe. Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Delhi Police should have at least informed Himachal govt officials.