16-year-old held for shooting teen at Amar Colony food outlet

A 16-year-old boy was arrested for critically injuring a 17-year-old with a gunshot during an argument at a Delhi food outlet. Investigation ongoing.

NEW DELHI

The juvenile allegedly admitted to his presence at the restaurant with his associates when the argument broke out

A 16-year-old boy was apprehended on Wednesday for allegedly firing at a 17-year-old boy at a food outlet in Amar Colony on Tuesday evening that left the victim critically injured, police said. They also recovered the weapon, a pistol, used in crime and are looking for the person who supplied it to the juvenile, officers said.

During interrogation, the juvenile allegedly admitted to his presence at the restaurant with his associates when the argument broke out. Police said the argument escalated and the juvenile allegedly pulled out a pistol and fired at the victim. They are analysing CCTV footage obtained from the locality.

Police registered a case of attempt to murder and under sections of the Arms Act, and recorded the girl’s statement. They said the juvenile was booked in another case in 2025 as well.

“A crime branch team received a tip-off regarding the involvement of the juvenile. Team conducted raids and traced the suspect to Shyam Nagar near Okhla Estate in Delhi around 4am. The boy was apprehended from his house after his identity was confirmed,” an investigator said.

Police said the group initially left but returned within minutes, after which one of the boys allegedly fired a round at the teenager in the back of his head, before fleeing. “Only one bullet was fired and one person sustained injuries,” deputy commissioner of police (south east) Hemant Tiwari said.

Delhi Police’s Amar Colony police station received a PCR call reporting the incident at 7.54pm. By the time police reached the spot, the injured had been shifted to Moolchand Hospital. The victim was later shifted to at AIIMS Trauma Centre and remains critical on ventilator support.

The victim’s father runs a laundry and dry-cleaning shop in Chattarpur Enclave. Investigators said the accused is a Class 12 student and lives with his father, brother and grandfather in Okhla. “Investigation is underway to identify and trace his associates,” the officer said.

The victim’s family said that he had gone out with his friends around 5pm. They said the incident took place after he objected to the accused staring at his female friend.

“His friend told us that three boys were staring at her. Our son looked at them and one of them questioned our son. He told his friend to finish the meal so they could leave. But they returned and shot him in the back of his head,” the victim’s paternal uncle, 34, said.

A 37-year-old paan shop owner said he heard a gunshot and saw three boys running. “Within seconds, I ran to the shop and saw the boy lying unconscious on a chair with his head bleeding. A girl was calling her friends telling them about the incident,” he said.

The shop owner said that he and a few others helped the girl transport the boy to an auto-rickshaw. She then took him to Moolchand Hospital, where a few more friends joined her until the family arrived.

Locals expressed concern over the incident. “It’s shocking how people are shooting over such small arguments on Delhi’s streets,” said Gurpreet Singh, a local.