A tense 24-hour confrontation between teams of the Delhi Police and the Himachal Pradesh Police finally ended early Thursday in Shimla, allowing officers from the national capital to leave with three detained Youth Congress activists. The dramatic impasse — marked by repeated stops, legal arguments, and even a kidnapping case — highlighted the complexities of interstate policing in India and triggered sharp political reactions.
The confrontation began when a Delhi Police team arrested three members of the Indian Youth Congress in Himachal Pradesh for their alleged role in a “shirtless protest” during an AI summit in New Delhi. Officers tracked the activists to a hotel in the Rohru area and took them into custody, but local police intercepted the team while they were transporting the accused out of the state, questioning the legality of the operation. Vehicles carrying the detainees were stopped multiple times, a kidnapping FIR was registered against unidentified officers in plain clothes, and disputes over digital evidence intensified the confrontation. At one point, the Delhi team was reportedly “detained” for about five hours despite securing transit remand from a magistrate.
In a late-night legal intervention, the accused and police personnel were taken to the residence of an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate after medical examinations at Deendayal Upadhyay Zonal Hospital. The magistrate granted transit remand authorizing the Delhi Police to take the accused to the capital. However, even after the court order, the convoy was stopped again at several checkpoints. The most intense standoff unfolded at the Shoghi border around 4 a.m., where local police barricaded a vehicle carrying CCTV footage and other materials seized during the arrests. Delhi officers refused to hand over the keys, arguing that the evidence was legally documented and protected under a seizure memo already presented before the court.
Shimla police demanded access to the digital evidence, alleging procedural lapses and lack of prior intimation to local authorities before the arrest operation. Delhi officers countered that they had lawful custody of the accused and that the evidence formed part of an ongoing investigation, adding that access could only be granted through a formal written request. The deadlock eventually eased after the Delhi team shared a copy of the seizure memo listing the items in their possession, though the actual digital data was not handed over. Shortly afterward, the convoy was allowed to proceed toward the capital.
The three activists are expected to be produced before a magistrate in Delhi for further custody proceedings related to the February 20 protest at Bharat Mandapam. Police sources say several charges, including rioting and promoting enmity under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, have been invoked. Authorities claim that at least 11 individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the demonstration.
The incident quickly took on political overtones. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu criticized earlier police actions in Delhi as unconstitutional, while opposition leaders accused the state government of shielding protesters. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur alleged that the government was engaging in “politics of anarchy” to appease senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, further intensifying the political debate surrounding the case.
The detained activists were allegedly involved in a dramatic protest during an international AI summit, where demonstrators reportedly breached security and staged a shirtless demonstration to draw attention to political issues. Authorities described the protest as a serious security lapse at a high-profile global event.
What began as a routine interstate arrest evolved into a high-stakes confrontation involving legal procedure, federal authority, and political pressure. Although the immediate crisis has subsided, the episode underscores persistent coordination challenges between state police forces and shows how law enforcement actions tied to political organizations can quickly escalate into major flashpoints.
Summary — Key Highlights:
A 24-hour standoff between Delhi and Himachal police ended Thursday morning; three Youth Congress activists were being transported to Delhi after arrest; Himachal Police registered a kidnapping case against unidentified officers; transit remand was granted but did not immediately resolve the dispute; evidence handling became the core point of confrontation; political leaders from both sides exchanged sharp accusations.