An inter-state jurisdiction dispute broke out on Wednesday after Shimla Police registered an FIR against nearly 20 Delhi Police personnel for the alleged abduction of three Youth Congress members from a resort in Himachal Pradesh.
The incident led to a day-long standoff, with the Delhi Police team being detained at Dharampur in Solan district, later allowed to proceed by a Shimla court, and then halted again near Shoghi after a fresh FIR was cited.
According to Shimla Police, information was received that 15 to 20 unidentified individuals in plain clothes arrived at Chanshal Resort in Mandli village of Chirgaon, Rohru, and forcibly took away three guests identified as Arbaz, Siddharth and Saurabh. Police alleged that the team also seized a Mahindra Thar vehicle belonging to the trio and removed the DVR of CCTV cameras without issuing any seizure memo or receipt.
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Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Chirgaon police station and an investigation was initiated.
Detention, court order and renewed halt
After learning of the operation, Himachal Pradesh Police set up a checkpoint at Dharampur and detained the Delhi Police team along with the three Youth Congress workers. The group was taken to the Shimla district court, where Delhi Police presented documents relating to an earlier FIR registered in Delhi.
Himachal authorities described the arrests as "illegal", stating that local police were not informed before the operation. Delhi Police, however, maintained that they were acting in connection with a case registered in the national capital and accused Himachal Police of obstructing official duty.
The Shimla court subsequently permitted Delhi Police to take the three men to Delhi for further proceedings.
However, as the team began their return journey, Shimla Police stopped them again near Shoghi, informing them that an FIR had been registered against the Delhi personnel for alleged abduction and directing them to join the investigation.
Background to the arrests
The developments follow a February 21 raid conducted by Delhi Police at Himachal Sadan in Delhi. The police had reportedly received information that Youth Congress members who had participated in a protest at Bharat Mandapam were staying at the premises.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had criticised the Delhi Police action at the time, stating that state authorities should have been informed.
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On Wednesday, Delhi Police arranged medical examinations for the three detained Youth Congress members at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Shimla. Officials said they would be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Shimla to seek transit remand.
The situation has raised questions about inter-state coordination between police forces and procedural compliance in cross-border operations.
