Delhi Police arrests 22-year-old wanted in robbery, firing cases

Delhi Police arrested a 22-year-old alleged criminal wanted in multiple robbery and firing cases and recovered an illegal semi-automatic pistol from his possession, an officer said on Saturday.

Dhruv alias Raj alias Toofan, a resident of Jahangir Puri, was held from the Bhalswa Dairy area in north Delhi. Police said he was wanted in four cases of robbery and firing registered at different police stations.

The arrest was made following a tip-off received on March 13 that Dhruv, who allegedly carries an illegal firearm and is active in criminal activities, would come near Bhalswa Dairy Jheel on Golf Course Road to meet his associates.

The team laid a trap and apprehended him. During a search, police recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol along with two cartridges of 7.65 mm calibre from his possession.

The weapon and ammunition were seized, and a case under relevant sections of the Arms Act was registered against him.

During interrogation, Dhruv told police that he had studied up to class 11 and came from a financially weak family. He allegedly got involved in criminal activities due to bad company and drug abuse.

Police said Dhruv disclosed that he was associated with a group of young criminals and juveniles known as the ‘SD group’, which is active in the Jahangir Puri and Bhalswa Dairy areas.

He also revealed links with other members of the group, including individuals identified as Deepak and Salman. He had procured illegal firearms from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh along with one of his associates to carry out criminal activities and for personal protection due to rivalries with other criminals.

The accused also admitted his involvement in two firing incidents registered at Kishangarh and Mahendra Park police stations, after which he had been absconding, police said.

Dhruv was earlier involved in two robbery cases registered at the Adarsh Nagar Police Station in 2023, in which proceedings under Section 82 of the CrPC had been initiated against him for absconding.

Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the source of the illegal firearm and other associates involved in the criminal network, police said.