A major drama unfolded between the Shimla Police and the Delhi Police on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday after the latter was stopped midway on national highway 5 while transporting the three Youth Congress workers who were arrested in connection with the 'shirtless protest' at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 20. The Delhi Police team were taking the three accused under transit remand granted by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ekansh Kapil.
However, the Shimla Police alleged that the accused, Saurav, Arbaaz and Siddharth, were being forcibly taken by the Delhi Police personnel. It also alleged that the Delhi Police team had taken the DVRs of the CCTVs at the resort where the accused were staying without a receipt or a memo. This led to an confrontation between the two police teams, causing confusion.
The showdown ended only after 24 hours after the Delhi Police was cleared to return to the national capital, along with the three accused.
Here's everything you need to know about the big story in 10 points:
- The altercation took place when the Delhi Police team was stopped by the Shimla Police while transporting the three accused. The Shimla Police registered a kidnapping case against the Delhi Police personnel, even detaining their vehicles.
- They resumed their journey later after the medical examination of the three accused was held at the Deendyal Upadhyay Zonal Hospital in Shimla late Wednesday night. However, the Delhi Police team was detained again at Kanlog.
- The Shimla Police told the Delhi Police that only three of its personnel can move the accused back to the national capital, while the rest would have to stay in Shimla to help in the investigation over the kidnapping case registered against them.
- The Delhi Police was also asked to handover the DVRs seized by them. However, the Delhi Police insisted that it would not leave any of its personnel behind.
- The Delhi Police continued their journey, where its personnel were detained again at the Shoghi border.
- During the showdown, a vehicle which had the digital evidence was also barricaded by the Shimla Police. The Shimla Police asked that the vehicle's keys must be handed over, a demand rejected by the Delhi Police.
- "A case has been registered against 15-20 unknown people in plain clothes for forcibly taking three people staying in a resort in Rohru. They also took the CCTV installed in the resort with them and did not give any receipt," the Shimla police said in a statement.
- A video has also gone viral on social media, showing the confrontation between the Delhi Police and the Shimla Police. "We have to produce the accused arrested at 5 am today in the court in 24 hours, and you have stopped us after registering an FIR at 8 pm," a Delhi Police officer said in the video, as reported by news agency PTI.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government over it, with former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur saying that it is 'shameful' to provide protection to those who tried to tarnish the image of the country.
- Coming to the 'shirtless protest', it happened at the Bharat Mandapam on February 20. The protest was led by Indian Youth Congress workers. The Delhi Police has arrested 11 persons so far, including Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Uday Bhanu Chib.
