Delhi: ‘Proclaimed offender’ arrested for sexual assault of minor

The Delhi Police has arrested a proclaimed offender who was allegedly part of a gang that sexually assaulted a boy at gunpoint in southwest Palam area, an official said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Gulzar alias Sonu (30), a resident of Palam Village, was apprehended on April 29.

Gulzar had been absconding since then and was declared a proclaimed offender by a court on December 15, 2025.

He was arrested under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 118-1 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the official said.

Section 6 of POCSO imposes rigorous imprisonment for at least 20 years, extending to life imprisonment, along with a fine or death penalty.

Police said the case pertains to an incident on October 5, 2024, when a boy was subjected to physical and sexual assault by four men — identified as Ajay, Neeraj, Kamal and Gulzar — in the Palam area.

During the assault, Gulzar was allegedly armed with a pistol and threatened to kill the victim, who was inflicted with injuries, officials said.

“All the accused persons threatened the victim at gunpoint and committed aggravated sexual assault. The victim later lost consciousness due to the severity of the assault,” a senior police officer said.

The boy was subsequently noticed by a passerby and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, following which a case was registered.

While three of the accused — Ajay, Neeraj and Kamal — were arrested earlier, Gulzar managed to evade arrest and kept changing his hideouts, police said.

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Acting on a tip-off that he would visit Palam village, the team laid a trap and apprehended him after sustained surveillance, officials said.

During interrogation, Gulzar allegedly admitted his involvement in the crime and disclosed that he had been on the run to avoid arrest, frequently shifting locations, police added.