You obstructed our work, could have asked us for tea: Delhi police’s parting words after Shimla row

Shimla: A request for a simple cup of tea captured the strain at the end of a night-long standoff between the Delhi Police and their counterparts in Himachal Pradesh last week.

The impasse unfolded in Shimla after a Delhi Police team travelled to the hill town on 18 February to arrest three Youth Congress activists in connection with a “shirtless protest” at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital.

After detaining the trio — identified as Saurabh Singh, Arbaz and Siddharth, reportedly from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh — from a hotel in Chirgaon in the Rohru area of Shimla district, the Delhi officers attempted to leave the state.

However, they were intercepted by Himachal Pradesh Police and brought back to Shimla, where they were produced before a local court.

Tensions escalated later that evening when the Delhi team again tried to transport the accused to Delhi. They were stopped once more at Shoghi, around 15 kilometres from Shimla, and allegations of abduction, concealment of property, wrongful confinement and unlawful assembly were raised.

The deadlock continued through the night and was resolved only on the morning of 19 February. Delhi Police eventually shared a copy of the seizure memo with the Himachal Pradesh authorities, listing the evidence in their possession, though digital material was not handed over. Officers said any further documents would require a formal written request.

As the Delhi team was finally cleared to return to the capital with the three activists, an officer voiced his frustration.

“You obstructed our work, detained us for the whole night, could have asked us for a tea at least,” he remarked before departing from the Shoghi border.

A journalist present offered to arrange tea, but the officer declined, saying they would leave immediately.

Both forces accused each other of hampering the investigation. A retired director general of police told PTI that once the Delhi team’s credentials had been verified, the Himachal Pradesh Police should have allowed them to proceed. At the same time, he added, the Delhi officers ought to have informed the local police station after making the arrests.