‘Shirtless’ protest: Three more Congress workers held in Shimla

Three more Congress workers have been detained in connection with the “shirtless” protest at the AI ​​Impact Summit in New Delhi, taking the total number of those arrested in the case to 11, an official said on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

Saurabh, Siddharth and Arbaz were nabbed by Delhi Police’s Special Cell from a hotel in Rohru subdivision of Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district. These men were produced before a local court and ordered transit detention so that police can bring them to Delhi for further questioning, the official said.

However, the arrests led to drama after the Himachal Pradesh Police stopped the Delhi Police team while transporting the accused to the national capital.

According to information obtained from Himachal Pradesh Police sources, the team from Delhi carried out the operation in Shimla without informing the local police. Thereupon, the Himachal police took action and stopped three vehicles carrying the accused, who were reportedly not residents of Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi Police personnel.

Two vehicles were stopped in Shimla, while the third was stopped near Dharampur in Solan district. The source said that about 20 people, including police personnel, were detained.

The “shirtless” protest at the Bharat Mandapam on February 20 triggered a major security response, with police earlier laying charges under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sedition and inciting hostility.

Officials said the Special Cell acted through specific inputs and technical surveillance to track down the accused who allegedly played a role in coordinating and assisting the protest at the high-profile international event attended by dignitaries and delegates.

There was no immediate response from Delhi Police to the reports.

Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and former national spokesperson Bhudev Sharma were arrested on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in connection with the case. Both were produced in the Delhi court and sent to police custody for questioning.

Earlier, on Saturday midnight, February 21, 2026, Delhi Police had raided Himachal Sadan in the national capital following reports that Youth Congress workers participating in the protest were provided accommodation there.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu called the action “unfortunate” and “against constitutional procedure”.