A Shimla court granted transit remand to three accused arrested by Delhi Police from Rohru. The arrest led to a dramatic confrontation with Himachal Police, who intercepted the Delhi team, resulting in prolonged legal proceedings.
High-Voltage Drama Ends with Transit Remand
After a day-long high-voltage drama involving the Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police, an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM-II) court in Shimla granted transit remand to three accused arrested by the Delhi Police from Rohru in Shimla district, officials said early Thursday.
Arrest Follows Complaint of Forcible Abduction
According to police, the unidentified persons reportedly picked up the three individuals from the resort and also took their vehicle along. The complainant further alleged that the DVR of CCTV cameras installed at the Chanshal resort was taken away without any seizure memo or receipt.
"On Wednesday morning, we received information that around 15-20 unidentified persons in plain clothes arrived in a vehicle at a resort in the Mandli area of Chirgaon and allegedly forcibly took away three guests staying there," Shimla Police stated.
Shimla Police registered a case at Chirgaon police station and initiated legal proceedings. The three accused, Saurav, Arbaaz and Siddharth, were produced at the residence court of ACJM-II Ekansh Kapil, where the Delhi Police's plea for transit remand was heard and allowed.
Police Forces Clash, Accused Detained
The arrests had triggered a dramatic sequence of events through Wednesday, including interception 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 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 reportedly filed by the SHO of Baluganj police station, which is scheduled to be heard separately. 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.
Arguments Unfold in Court
An FIR was also registered by the Shimla police. The matter was initially placed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who forwarded it to the court of ACJM-II for hearing.
Defence Alleges 'Illegal Detention'
After arguments from both sides, the court granted transit remand to the Delhi Police. Sandeep Dutta, Advocate for the accused, argued that the arrest was illegal and that due procedure had not been followed. He told the 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.
"They were arrested in Rohru, a place in Himachal Pradesh, this morning around 5.30 am. They were brought to Shimla after that. They haven't yet undergone a medical examination, so they still need to undergo one... Our clear objective is that this arrest is an illegal one. They haven't followed the proper procedure. There are certain ambiguities. That's why we've filed this application... Yes, Delhi Police requested transit remand. They're running out of time... They have to get a medical done as well," he said.
Prosecution Confirms Remand Approval
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 by late night. He added that the matter remains under investigation and the Delhi Police will address the media in detail through a press conference on Thursday.
"We first moved the application to the Chief Judicial Magistrate here. He then forwarded the application. The local magistrate in Court No. 2 (ACJ) has now approved their police transit remand. Now, the three accused are going to be presented before the concerned local magistrate in the Delhi court where the FIR was registered," he said.
Despite the prolonged developments and public attention, senior Himachal Pradesh Police officials, including top leadership, remained largely unavailable for comment through the day, and no formal statement was issued.
With transit remand now granted, the Delhi Police have begun the process of shifting the three accused to Delhi, where further legal proceedings will take place. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)