A major confrontation broke out between the Delhi Police and the Himachal Pradesh Police after a Delhi Police team picked up three members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) from Himachal Pradesh in connection with a protest held during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 20.

The Himachal Pradesh Police accused the Delhi Police of kidnapping the three men. The arrests were linked to a shirtless protest carried out by IYC members at the AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.

According to reports, around 15 personnel from the Special Cell of Delhi Police travelled to Himachal Pradesh and picked up the three individuals before dawn on Wednesday from the Shimla district. However, the situation quickly escalated, leading to a dramatic standoff between the two state police forces.

By Wednesday night, nearly 15 Delhi Police personnel were being held at the Shoghi police post on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway. The three detained IYC members were also present at the Shoghi police post as the standoff continued late into the night.

Both police forces gave different accounts of what happened.

Sources in the Delhi Police said that the Special Cell team had detained the three suspects, all IYC members, from Shimla district. They said the team tried to produce the accused before a local court in Shimla to seek transit remand, which would allow them to take the suspects to Delhi legally.

However, according to Delhi Police sources, the Himachal Pradesh Police prevented them from completing the process.

“At the court, our team was informed that court staff were not available for the legal process. The local (Himachal) police kept the Delhi Police officers confined for hours. They were asked to show a copy of the FIR (against the accused) and permission from a court to carry out the operation,” a Delhi Police source said.

The source further claimed that although the Delhi Police team was eventually allowed to leave in the evening, they were stopped again at the Shoghi police post.

“There, we were told that we had been booked for kidnapping, and were detained,” a source who is part of the Delhi Police team said.

On the other hand, a senior officer of the Himachal Pradesh Police gave a different version to The Indian Express. The officer said that two Delhi Police teams that were trying to return after arresting the three IYC workers were intercepted near the bus stand in Shimla and in Dharampur in Solan district. They were then produced before a court in Shimla district.

The officer added that the Delhi Police personnel, who numbered between 15 and 20 and were led by ACP Rahul Vikram, left the court around 7.30 pm despite being asked by Himachal Police officers not to leave. Because of this, they were detained at the Shoghi barrier around 8 pm, the Himachal officer said.

Late on Wednesday night, the Shimla Police issued a statement saying that an FIR had been registered against the Delhi Police team at Chirgaon police station.

The statement said, “Shimla Police on Wednesday morning received information that around 15 to 20 unidentified individuals, dressed in plain clothes, arrived in vehicles and allegedly forcibly took away three guests staying at a resort in the Mandli area of Chirgaon.”

The statement further added, “…The individuals also took with them a Thar vehicle belonging to the guests. In addition, it has been alleged that the group removed the DVRs of the CCTV cameras installed at the complainant’s Chanshal Resort without providing any seizure memo or receipt. Acting on the complaint, Shimla Police have registered a case at Chirgaon police station.”

Sources from the Himachal Police said that there was an argument between ACP Rahul Vikram and Shimla Police officers at the Shoghi barrier. According to them, the Himachal officers informed ACP Vikram that since an FIR had been registered, the Delhi Police team could not leave without joining the investigation. However, the ACP reportedly insisted that his team had followed all proper procedures.

ACP Vikram told The Indian Express over the phone, “I don’t know in what capacity the Himachal Police detained us. Two of the three suspects were directly involved in the shirtless protest, while one of them was involved in the conspiracy.”

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s Principal Adviser (Media), Naresh Chauhan, also spoke about the issue. He said, “There is a procedure when the police from a state go to another state to arrest a suspect. We were told that the Delhi Police didn’t follow that procedure. An FIR was lodged in this connection.”

Meanwhile, a senior Delhi Police officer who was part of the team said, “We are coordinating with the Himachal Police. We will take the three IYC suspects to Delhi tonight.”

The Delhi Police have already arrested eight people, including IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib, in connection with the shirtless protest held at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Impact Summit.

The incident has led to an unusual and tense confrontation between two state police forces, with serious allegations of kidnapping and procedural violations being made. The matter remained unresolved as of the latest reports, with both sides standing firm on their positions.