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The precocious voltage play with the Himachal Police "detaining" a 20-member Delhi Police squad extended into the wee hours of Thursday (February 26, 2026), adjacent aft the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) granted transit remand for 3 Youth Congress activists arrested successful transportation with the "shirtless protest" astatine the AI Summit successful New Delhi.
On Wednesday (February 25, 2026), the Himachal Pradesh Police registered a kidnapping lawsuit against the Delhi Police unit and "detained" their vehicles astatine the Shogi borderline adjacent Shimla. This occurred portion they were en way to the nationalist superior with the 3 Youth Congress members successful custody.
The three accused, on with the members of the Delhi Police, were taken to the residence of ACJM II Ekansh Kapil astatine 1.30 a.m. aft undergoing aesculapian examinations astatine the Deendyal Upadhyay Zonal Hospital successful Shimla precocious Wednesday (February 25, 2026) night. Afterwards, they resumed their journey.
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However, aboriginal Thursday (February 26, 2026) morning, the Delhi Police squad was detained again astatine Kanlog. The constabulary squad was instructed to instrumentality to the nationalist superior with the accused, on with a fewer further constabulary personnel, portion the remaining members were asked to to enactment down and cooperate with the probe into the kidnapping lawsuit against them.
The Shimla constabulary besides asked the Delhi squad to manus implicit the transcript of the integer grounds they possessed, which had allegedly been gathered erstwhile they picked up the activists successful Rohru.
The Delhi Police insisted that the information of the 3 accused was their work and that they would not permission immoderate of their members behind. They aboriginal continued their question towards Shoghi.
At the Shoghi border, however, the Delhi squad was detained yet again by the Shimla constabulary astatine 4 a.m.. Meanwhile, the Shimla constabulary barricaded a conveyance belonging to the Delhi Police, which is believed to incorporate CCTV footage and different evidence. The Delhi Police stated that this conveyance holds integer evidence, accompanying documents, and arms.
During the standoff, the Shimla constabulary sought the keys to the barricaded vehicle, but the Delhi Police refused to manus them over.
A unit from the Delhi Police informed the Shimla constabulary that a seizure memo had been provided and that the applicable documents were shown to the ACJM, based connected which they were granted transit remand.
The Delhi Police stated that they received 18 hours of transit remand, of which 4.5 hours person already elapsed.
Both the Delhi and Shimla constabulary teams declined to remark to the media. The accusation astir the standoff was gathered based connected what the PTI newsman astatine the country observed and heard. Speaking to the media earlier, advocator for the accused, Sandeep Dutta, stated that the apprehension was amerciable due to the fact that the due procedures were not followed. He opposed the transit remand connected the grounds of amerciable detention and the deficiency of due documentation.
Advocate Nand Lal, representing the Delhi Police, stated that the transit remand exertion was presented and approved.
The struggle began connected Wednesday (February 25, 2026) greeting erstwhile members of the Delhi Police arrested the 3 Youth Congress activists, linked to the February 20 protestation astatine the AI Impact Summit, from a edifice successful the Chirgaon country of Rohru subdivision successful Shimla district. They were intercepted by section constabulary and brought backmost to Shimla.
Three constabulary vehicles ferrying the accused — Saurabh, Siddharth and Arbaz — who are allegedly not residents of the State, were intercepted successful Shimla and Solan territory and subsequently produced earlier a section court.
On Wednesday (February 25, 2026) evening, erstwhile the Delhi Police attempted erstwhile much to transport the accused to New Delhi, they were stopped again astatine the Shoghi border, astir 15 km from Shimla. This concern created inconvenience for commuters owed to the standoff betwixt the 2 constabulary teams.
"A lawsuit has been registered against 15-20 chartless radical successful plain apparel for forcibly taking 3 radical staying successful a edifice successful Rohru. They besides took the CCTV installed successful the edifice with them and did not springiness immoderate receipt," the Shimla constabulary said successful a statement.
While the Delhi Police asserted that they had obtained the indispensable transit remand, the Himachal Police claimed that nary documentation was presented and deemed the cognition illegal, alleging a procedural lapse successful not notifying the section constabulary earlier making an arrest.
Both the Shimla and Delhi constabulary accused 1 different of obstructing the investigation.
In a purported video that appeared from the Shogi borderline successful the suburbs of Shimla city, the Delhi Police officers were heard saying that they had arrested 3 radical successful the greeting successful transportation with an FIR registered connected February 20.
"We person to nutrient the accused arrested astatine 5 a.m. contiguous successful the tribunal successful 24 hours, and you person stopped america aft registering an FIR astatine 8 p.m.," a Delhi Police serviceman could beryllium heard saying.
However, Shimla Police maintained that a lawsuit of abduction had been filed, alleging that the Delhi Police was hampering their investigation. "I asked you for ineligible documentation successful the morning, but you neither showed immoderate papers nor provided the FIR number," a Shimla Police serviceman could beryllium heard replying. In a connection issued successful Shimla, Leader of Opposition successful the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur said, "It is shameful to supply extortion successful Himachal Pradesh to individuals from extracurricular Himachal Pradesh who person attempted to tarnish the country's representation internationally." Mr. Thakur accused Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of engaging successful 'politics of anarchy' to triumph favour with Congress person Rahul Gandhi, claiming the Himachal Pradesh Police should person cooperated with the Delhi Police successful this interstate operation, but alternatively attempted to detain them.
The "shirtless protest" astatine Bharat Mandapam connected February 20 prompted a important information response, with constabulary earlier invoking charges including rioting and promoting enmity nether applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president, Uday Bhanu Chib, and erstwhile nationalist spokesperson, Bhudev Sharma, were arrested successful transportation with the lawsuit connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026). Both were subsequently produced earlier a Delhi tribunal and remanded to constabulary custody for interrogation.
According to the Delhi Police, a full of 11 radical person been arrested truthful far.
On Saturday (February 21, 2026) midnight, Delhi Police raided Himachal Sadan successful the nationalist superior amid reports that IYC workers who had participated successful the protestation were provided accommodation there.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhu termed the enactment "unfortunate and against law procedure."
