Cornered juvenile opens fire at police officers in Sangam Vihar, nabbed

The 17-year-old was found to be involved in at least three robbery cases over the past few weeks in Sangam Vihar and surrounding areas. A semi-automatic pistol and two live rounds were recovered from him.

A juvenile was arrested after he allegedly opened fired at a police team in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar on Tuesday evening after finding himself cornered, police said on Wednesday.

Two adults, who were in his gang, have also been arrested by the police. (Sourced)

The 17-year-old was able to fire only once before the police team returned fire and overpowered him, said Romil Baaniya, DCP (south).

The teenager was found to be involved in at least three robbery cases over the past few weeks in Sangam Vihar and surrounding areas. A semi-automatic pistol and two live rounds were recovered from him.

Two adults, who were in his gang, have been arrested. The DCP said that the first arrest from the gang happened on Tuesday when a tip-off led to the arrest of 22-year-old Virat, an associate of the juvenile. At Virat’s instance, one other suspect, Prince, was nabbed thereafter.

Baaniya said that the police had been on the gang’s trail for many days, but a robbery near a school in the early hours of Monday intensified the chase.

On Tuesday night, a police team received a tip-off about the teenager who was inside a DDA park in Sangam Vihar’s G block. One of the police officers, constable Pankaj, who had got inside the park to catch him, was caught by surprise when the boy fired at him.

“Our constable had a narrow escape, but he fired in return. That allowed the police team to swiftly overpower the boy,” said Baaniya.

The boy also allegedly led the police to nine mobile phones the gang had robbed over the past few days.

Police said all the three gang members drug addicts and snatched mobile phones to sell them and buy drugs. The teenager told the police he always carried a pistol to threaten his victims. Police are now probing how he got the pistol.