Himachal Police Detain Delhi Cops Over Youth Congress Arrests, Political Row Erupts

A significant inter-state police standoff unfolded on February 25, 2026, when the Himachal Pradesh Police intercepted and detained around 20 Delhi Police personnel for allegedly making 'unauthorised' arrests of three Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers from Rohru, Shimla district. The Delhi Police team was reportedly returning to the capital with the arrested individuals, identified as Saurabh, Siddharth, and Arbaz, when they were stopped near Dharampur in Solan district by Himachal Pradesh Police. The sequence of events began on February 20, 2026, when IYC members staged a 'shirtless protest' at the India AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The protestors had reportedly gained entry to the high-profile international event by registering online and obtaining QR codes. Inside Exhibition Hall No. 5, they removed their shirts to reveal T-shirts emblazoned with slogans critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government, and the India-US trade deal, including phrases like 'Compromised PM' and 'Epstein Files'. This demonstration quickly escalated into a commotion, drawing a major security response. Following the protest, Delhi Police launched an investigation, registering an FIR at Tilak Marg police station. Serious provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) were invoked, including criminal conspiracy, obstruction of a public servant in discharge of duty, disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, unlawful assembly, promoting enmity, and assertions prejudicial to national integration. Initial arrests were made in Delhi, with four IYC leaders – Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, and Narasimha Yadav – remanded to five-day police custody on February 21, 2026. Subsequently, Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib was also arrested on February 24, 2026, and sent to four-day police custody, with police identifying him as the 'main conspirator and mastermind' of the incident. The Delhi Police's Special Cell, acting on specific inputs and technical surveillance, then traced three more accused (Saurabh, Siddharth, and Arbaz) to a hotel in Rohru subdivision of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh. A team of Delhi Police personnel proceeded to Rohru and apprehended these individuals. However, the Himachal Pradesh Police objected to these arrests, asserting that the Delhi Police had not followed proper legal procedures, specifically failing to inform or coordinate with the local state police before conducting an operation within Himachal Pradesh's jurisdiction. Consequently, the Himachal Pradesh Police set up checkpoints and intercepted three vehicles carrying the arrested IYC workers and Delhi Police personnel near Dharampur in Solan district. Sources indicate that around 20 Delhi Police personnel were detained or intercepted by the Himachal Police at this point. The Himachal Pradesh Police, describing the arrests by Delhi Police as 'illegal detention,' released the three Youth Congress workers from custody and brought them back to Shimla. Both the detained Delhi Police personnel and the re-apprehended IYC workers were subsequently produced before the district and sessions court in Shimla. Further escalating the conflict, the Himachal Pradesh Police registered a kidnapping case against the Delhi Police personnel, citing the alleged procedural lapses and unauthorised nature of the arrests. This unprecedented clash between police forces from different jurisdictions triggered a significant political controversy. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government, accusing it of shielding Youth Congress workers involved in tarnishing India's image on an international platform and interfering with police duty. BJP state chief spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal termed the incident 'unfortunate and unprecedented,' raising concerns about political interference in policing and a breakdown of law and order. Conversely, Congress leaders, including AICC spokesperson Kuldeep Rathore, condemned the Delhi Police's actions, calling them an attempt to suppress democratic dissent and accusing the central government of misusing police action against youth activists. Rathore also criticized the raid on Himachal Sadan in Delhi (reported in related articles, but not the primary focus of this specific event), calling it a clear violation of privacy. The incident highlights the complexities of inter-state policing, particularly when political sensitivities are involved, and raises questions about due process and jurisdictional boundaries in law enforcement operations across state lines. The legal proceedings are expected to continue, with the Himachal Pradesh Police demanding a fair and impartial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the detention of Delhi Police personnel.

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