Shimla-Delhi Police Standoff Over IYC Arrests Ends After 24-Hour Jurisdictional Clash
A dramatic 24-hour standoff between Delhi-Haryana Police and Himachal Pradesh Police over the arrest of three Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers for the shirtless protest at the AI Summit in Delhi finally concluded in the early hours of Thursday. The jurisdictional confrontation involved multiple interceptions, an abduction FIR, and significant political fallout.
The Arrest and Initial Confrontation
The Delhi-Haryana police team had apprehended the trio—Saurabh Singh, Siddharth Avdhoot, and Arbaaz Khan—from a resort in Chirgaon, approximately 120 kilometers from Shimla, around 6 a.m. on Wednesday. Following the arrest, the resort owner filed a formal complaint with Shimla Police, alleging that 15-20 men in plain clothes forcibly took away three guests and seized electronic equipment, including a CCTV digital video recorder (DVR).
In response, Shimla Police, coordinating with Solan Police, intercepted the vehicles at multiple locations: Shoghi, ISBT Shimla, and Dharampur in Solan. The Delhi and Haryana officers informed Shimla Police that the trio was arrested in connection with an FIR registered in Delhi on February 20. However, a jurisdictional confrontation quickly ensued.
Procedural Disputes and Legal Maneuvers
Shimla Police detained the visiting police team over procedural concerns, alleging they were not properly informed about the operation. According to Himachal Pradesh officials, the Delhi-Haryana team failed to hand over a seizure memo for items taken from the resort. Despite being released, the visiting officers were stopped again at the Shoghi barrier, 15 kilometers from Shimla, late in the evening.
Amid heated arguments, Shimla Police informed them about the newly registered abduction FIR and requested their cooperation in the investigation. To ensure legal compliance and protect detainee rights, Shimla Police produced the three accused before a local court. They also underwent a medical examination at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (Ripon) Hospital in Shimla later that night.
Close to midnight, the accused were presented at the residence of the Shimla Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), who granted an 18-hour transit remand to Delhi Police. However, at 4 a.m. on Thursday, they were stopped yet again at the Shoghi barrier. It was not until 6 a.m.—24 hours after the initial arrests—that the Delhi and Haryana police could finally depart for the national capital with the three accused.
Political Fallout and Accusations
The police standoff triggered a significant political faceoff. A BJP delegation led by Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Thursday, submitting a memorandum that alleged interference in Delhi Police's lawful action and "political misuse of the police machinery" by the Congress government. The BJP demanded a high-level investigation by the central government into the Chief Minister's office and action against guilty officials.
In response, Himachal Chief Minister's media advisor Naresh Chauhan termed the allegations against the state government "baseless and wrong," criticizing Thakur for "defending Delhi Police instead of supporting state police." He clarified, "The state is not shielding protesters."
Court Proceedings and Custodial Interrogation
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Thursday sent the three accused to three days of police custody after Delhi Police sought custodial interrogation. Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta passed the order, observing that the accused would be "permitted to meet their counsel during interrogation in accordance with BNSS Section 38 at reasonable intervals fixed by the investigating officer."
Delhi Police produced the IYC workers before the court after bringing them from Himachal Pradesh under transit remand. Seeking five days' custody, the prosecution submitted that custodial interrogation was necessary to:
- Ascertain the origin of the conspiracy
- Establish the chain of command
- Confirm the mode and method of payment
- Confront them with co-accused
According to the prosecution, Siddharth designed and circulated the content printed on the protest T-shirts, while Saurabh created a WhatsApp group to mobilize participants. Both he and Arbaaz were allegedly present inside the venue during the agitation. The prosecution further claimed that the three were "hiding in resorts in Himachal Pradesh" and, despite repeated warnings and knowledge of their colleague's arrests, continued to conceal themselves, reflecting their "apparent respect for the law," as per Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastav.
Defense Arguments and Case Details
Opposing the plea, the defense argued that the case must be viewed holistically and was limited to the protest that day, terming the action "witch hunting." They contended that the accused were neither seen in CCTV footage nor involved in any hateful speech, and no police personnel were harmed. The defense, led by advocate Roopesh Bhadoria, asserted that the case was built on rhetoric rather than evidence.
Bhadoria also flagged the mechanical use of the phrase "tukde-tukde" in the FIR, questioning whether "investigative agencies were now resorting to recycled narratives instead of credible material evidence."
The court remanded the trio, along with two other co-accused—Ajay Kumar and Raja Gujjar—in police custody until March 1 in the same case. While Saurabh and Arbaaz are from Uttar Pradesh, Siddharth hails from Madhya Pradesh.
Background of the AI Summit Protest
The AI Impact Summit 2026 began on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam. On February 20, several men allegedly entered the venue wearing T-shirts bearing images of Prime Minister Modi and former US President Donald Trump, along with slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal, leading to the arrests and subsequent legal and political drama.
