After showdown with Himachal Pradesh Police, Delhi cops leave Shimla with three accused

The arrests had triggered a dramatic sequence of events through Wednesday, including interception and detention of Delhi police team by Himachal Pradesh Police

After a day-long high-voltage drama involving the Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police, repeated detention, finally Delhi police at about 5:55am left for Delhi with the three accused arrested by them from Rohru in Shimla district.

Special Cell of Delhi Police with the apprehended Congress workers, who were taken into custody in connection with the "shirtless" protest at the AI Impact, after being produced at the district court, in Shimla. (PTI)

This comes after prolonged argument with Shimla Police and High voltage drama that went on through Wednesday, the Delhi Police team on Thursday morning departed from the Shoghi barrier with all vehicles and the three accused who had been sent on transit remand by a local court.

The arrests had triggered a dramatic sequence of events through Wednesday, including interception and detention of Delhi police team by Himachal Pradesh Police, arguments between police teams at multiple checkpoints and prolonged legal proceedings before the accused were finally produced in court.

According to officials, Shimla Police released all the detained vehicles, allowing the Delhi Police to proceed towards Delhi with the accused and seized material.

A Delhi Police personnel without willing to be named said, “Delhi Police has left from the Shoghi barrier in Shimla. Delhi Police has given the seizure memo to Shimla Police. Delhi Police officials have taken along the DVR and the seized Thar vehicle of the accused. Now Delhi Police will produce the three accused before the local magistrate in Delhi.”

The official further stated that the three accused Saurabh Singh and Arbaaz Khan hail from Uttar Pradesh, and Siddharth Avdhoot from Madhya Pradesh were arrested by Delhi Police from the Rohru area of Shimla district.

He added, “There was an argument at the spot and questions were raised on how Shimla Police was trying to seize our vehicle under the law. After that, Shimla Police, which had detained all our vehicles, finally released them. It is now almost 6 pm and we are finally leaving. We were kept in detention for quite some time.”

The Delhi Police ACP Rahul Vikram, said, “We have given them the memo, which is the seizure memo. This is our government vehicle in which case property was kept, so it could not have been seized. Finally, we are all leaving now. We were kept in detention for so long.”

The Delhi Police team is now proceeding towards Delhi and will produce the accused before a local magistrate as per legal procedure.

Transit remand granted after late night court proceedings

Local court in Shimla in late night proceedings granted transit remand to three accused arrested by the Delhi Police from Rohru in Shimla district, officials said early Thursday.

The three accused Saurav, Arbaaz and Siddharth were produced at around 1:00 am were produced before the ACJM-II Ekansh Kapil, where the Delhi Police’s plea for transit remand was heard and allowed.

According to details, the Delhi Police arrested the three youths from Rohru at around 5:30 am on Wednesday and brought them towards Shimla. However, acting on information, Himachal Pradesh Police intercepted the Delhi Police team at Dharampur in Solan district and detained them along with the accused.

The accused were later taken to Shimla for legal proceedings. During the day, a private complaint was also filed by the SHO of Baluganj police station, before the court alleging procedural lapses.

In the evening, when the Delhi Police again attempted to take the accused towards Delhi, the team was stopped at a barrier on the outskirts of Shimla, leading to heated arguments between the two police forces. The accused and the Delhi Police personnel were kept detained for several hours before being produced before a magistrate. An FIR was also registered by Shimla police.

Sandeep Dutta, Advocate for the accused argued that the arrest was illegal and that due procedure had not been followed. He told media that the defence opposed the transit remand on grounds of “illegal detention”, absence of proper documentation and lack of medical examination of the accused at the time of arrest.

He said objections were formally raised before the court, which heard the defence submissions before passing its order.

Representing the Delhi Police, advocate Nand Lal Thakur said the transit remand application was moved before the CJM, who forwarded the matter to the local Additional Judicial Magistrate where it was approved.

Thakur said the accused would be taken to Delhi and produced before a competent court there as the matter remains under investigation.