SHIMLA: The sense of unease is growing in the hill capital. In a shocking daylight attack that has rattled residents, Shimla Police have arrested two of the three accused involved in the assault, kidnapping attempt, and extortion bid on Aryan Chauhan — son of Chief Minister’s media advisor Naresh Chauhan — last Friday.
According to police sources, Aryan was on his way from his private hotel towards the city around 2 pm when the incident unfolded.
A group of masked men travelling in an Alto car intercepted his vehicle, brandishing a pistol and iron rod. In a split-second act that likely saved his life, Aryan reportedly jumped out of the car and scrambled down the hillside, escaping the attackers’ grip.
He sustained minor injuries in the process and was taken to IGMC, where he was later discharged after treatment. But while he escaped with his life, the incident has left behind a trail of serious questions.
Based on Aryan’s statement, an FIR was registered at Dhalli police station under stringent sections including attempt to murder, attempted kidnapping, and armed assault.
The suspected Alto car has been seized. Two accused are now in custody, while the third remains absconding, with police teams conducting raids to track him down.
Yet, the biggest mystery persists — what was the motive?
Given the victim’s profile as a young Congress leader and son of a close aide to the Chief Minister, the case has taken on a high-profile dimension. Investigators are probing multiple angles — political rivalry, personal enmity, extortion, or a larger conspiracy — but nothing concrete has emerged so far.
For Shimla residents, however, the larger concern goes beyond this one case. The brazenness of the attack — carried out in broad daylight, with weapons, targeting a well-known figure — has deepened fears that the city’s law-and-order fabric is under strain.
“This isn’t the Shimla we knew,” say locals, increasingly worried about a visible uptick in violent crime and organised activity.
Police insist the swift arrests show zero tolerance, but the incident has undeniably shaken public confidence. As the investigation unfolds, the city watches closely — not just for arrests, but for answers.
Because in the hills, where calm has long been the identity, such incidents are no longer being dismissed as isolated. They are beginning to look like a pattern.
