Prime suspect in sexual assault of 15-year-old Delhi boy held

Delhi Police arrested the prime suspect in a 2024 sexual assault case involving a 15-year-old boy, after he had evaded capture for over a year.

New Delhi

The accused was arrested over a year-and-a-half after the crime. (Representative photo)

The prime suspect in a case of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy at gunpoint, assaulting him with a blade and causing injuries was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Wednesday, over one-and-a-half years after the crime, senior officers said on Friday.

Police said the accused, aged 30 and who worked as a barber, was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in the case by a city court last December. While three accused were arrested in 2024, the main accused gave them the slip, police said. All the accused were acquainted with the victim, officers said.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Pankaj Kumar said the purported crime took place in October 2024. “Due to the severity of the assault, the boy became unconscious, after which all the accused fled the spot. A resident noticed the boy lying in an unconscious condition and immediately shifted him to a nearby hospital for medical treatment,” said DCP Kumar.

Police said a case of aggravated penetrative sexual assault and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon was registered under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 118 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Palam Village police station.

Recently, the crime branch’s New Delhi Range (NDR) team started collecting inputs regarding the absconding accused through technical investigation and field intelligence gathering. On Wednesday, the team members learnt that the 30-year-old suspect would be visiting Palam village, on the basis of which they laid a trap and arrested him, DCP Kumar said.