New Delhi, February 26 A Delhi Police team returned to the national capital on Thursday, along with three Youth Congress activists who had been arrested in Himachal Pradesh in connection with the shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit. They asserted that all legal procedures were followed during the operation across state lines.
The accused – Saurabh, Siddharth, and Arbaz – were apprehended from a resort in the Rohru area of the Shimla district on Wednesday in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered in Delhi regarding the February 20 protest at Bharat Mandapam. With their arrest, the total number of people held in the case has risen to 12, the police said.
Shortly after the arrests on Wednesday, the Delhi Police team was intercepted by the local police, leading to a dispute over procedural issues.
The Himachal Pradesh Police questioned the manner of arrest and seizure, and subsequently registered a case against unidentified Delhi Police personnel based on a complaint by the resort owner.
However, senior Delhi Police officers maintained that the action was taken in connection with a case registered in the national capital and within the framework of the law.
“The team was acting on a valid FIR registered in Delhi. The arrests and seizures were carried out as per legal provisions, and the accused were to be produced before the appropriate court within the stipulated time,” an officer added.
According to the police, during the operation, digital video recorders (DVRs) of CCTV cameras and a vehicle allegedly used by the accused were seized under a seizure memo.
The officers said that in interstate operations, the standard practice is to inform the local police and, where required, produce the accused before a local court to obtain a transit remand.
“In this case, the accused were ultimately produced before a competent court in Shimla and a transit remand was obtained. The seizure memo detailing the recovered items was also shared with the local police,” the officer said.
However, the electronic evidence was retained as case property since the investigation pertains to a Delhi Police FIR, he added.
After securing a transit remand, the Delhi Police team resumed its journey and reached the capital on Thursday morning.
The police said that the role of the three accused in organizing and executing the protest is being examined, and further digital evidence is under scrutiny.
“The investigation is focused on identifying the larger conspiracy and other persons involved,” the officer said.
The February 20 protest during the high-profile AI Summit had prompted a major security response, with cases registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is underway, the police said.