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‘Rules should be followed’: Congress on Delhi-Shimla Police showdown over IYC workers' arrest
An intense standoff between the Delhi and Shimla Police over the arrest of IYC workers ended after 24 hours on Thursday.
Congress on Thursday suggested that the standoff between Delhi and Shimla Police stemmed from “illegal and unwarranted” action being taken by the force that came from the national capital to arrest three Indian Youth Congress workers over the shirtless AI Summit protest last week.
An intense standoff between the Delhi and Shimla police ended in the early hours of Thursday after the former was finally allowed to proceed towards the national capital with the three accused.
Transit remand for the three was secured in a late-night court hearing which followed kidnapping charge against Delhi Police, allegations of detention against Shimla cops. It all stemmed from Shimla Police's accusation that the three were being taken without following due protocol.
On the faceoff between the two police forces, Naresh Chauhan, media advisor to the Himachal Pradesh chief minister and Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “Rules and law should be followed, that is the correct way. Any state police, if they are going to another state to take any action, should inform that state's police prior to the action.”
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"This order has been given to the Delhi Police by the High Court. Despite this, the Delhi Police did not inform Himachal Police and continued with their action. Shimla Police opposed it because the action being taken was illegal and unwarranted. Finally this case reached the Court and the accused have been taken into remand and they are finally undergoing medical," he said, speaking to PTI news agency.
Delhi Police arrested the three youths - Saurabh Singh and Arbaaz Khan hailing from Uttar Pradesh, and Siddharth Avdhoot from Madhya Pradesh - 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 Shimla Police allegedly seized Delhi Police vehicle.
State authorities intercepted three vehicles of the Special Cell of Delhi Police - with about 20 personnel - in Shoghi (near Shimla) and Dharampur (in Solan district) for failing to follow mandatory inter-state arrest protocols, including the procurement of transit remands.
Both the detained Delhi officers and the IYC workers were subsequently produced in a court in Shimla as the legal tug of war intensified, people in the know of the matter told HT.
The three accused Saurav, Arbaaz and Siddharth were produced at around 1 am were produced before the ACJM-II Ekansh Kapil, where the Delhi Police’s plea for transit remand was heard and allowed, following which they later proceeded towards the national capital, the earlier HT report mentioned.
