The Congress on Thursday suggested that the standoff between the Delhi and Shimla Police stemmed from the “unlawful and unjustified” action taken by the force that came from the national capital to arrest three Indian Youth Congress workers over the Amnesty International summit protest last week.
The intense standoff between the Delhi and Shimla Police ended in the early hours of Thursday after the police were finally allowed to proceed towards the national capital with the three accused.
The three were secured remand in a late-night court hearing that followed the kidnapping charge against Delhi Police, and the arrest allegations against Shimla cops. It all stems from Shimla Police’s accusation that the three were taken away without following due protocol.
Regarding the confrontation between the two police forces, Naresh Chauhan, media advisor to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, said: “The rules and the law must be followed, this is the right way. Any state police, if they are going to another state to take any action, must inform the police of that state before the action.”
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Speaking to news agency PTI, he said, “The Supreme Court has issued this order to Delhi Police. Despite this, Delhi Police did not inform Himachal Police and continued its action. Shimla Police opposed it as the action taken was illegal and unjustified. Finally this case has reached the court and the accused have been remanded in custody and are finally undergoing medical examination.”
The Delhi Police arrested the three youths – Saurabh Singh and Arbaaz Khan from Uttar Pradesh, and Siddharth Avdhut from Madhya Pradesh – from Rohru at around 5:30 am on Wednesday and took them towards Shimla. However, based on the information, Himachal Pradesh Police intercepted the Delhi Police team at Dharampur in Solan district and detained them along with the accused. Shimla Police allegedly seized a Delhi Police vehicle.
State authorities intercepted three vehicles of the Delhi Police Special Cell – with around 20 personnel – at Shoghi (near Shimla) and Dharampur (in Solan district) for not following mandatory inter-state arrest protocols, including getting remand.
Both the detained Delhi officers and the IYC workers were later produced in a Shimla court as the legal tug of war intensified, people familiar with the matter told HT.
The three accused Sourav, Arbaaz and Siddharth were produced at around 1 am before ACJM-II Ekansh Kapil, where Delhi Police’s plea for remand was heard and allowed, after which they later headed towards the national capital, an earlier HT report said.
