The Hindu : New Delhi News : Man, juvenile aide arrested for burglary

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Wednesday, Dec 23, 2009
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New Delhi

Man, juvenile aide arrested for burglary

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old man has been arrested and his juvenile accomplice detained for alleged involvement in several cases of burglary in government flats in South Delhi in which the houses were also set on fire.

The two have purportedly confessed to their involvement in the recent burglary and fire in a Union Defence Ministry official’s house in Laxmibai Nagar earlier this month.

The police said the gang comprising mostly juveniles was involved in over a hundred such cases in the past few years. The gang, which usually targeted middle and senior government officials’ flats, was active in Laxmibai Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Kotla and R.K. Puram.

The gang members, most of them addicted to ganja and liquor, would usually set the house on fire after burglary and considered it a good omen for them. They did so to destroy evidence as well, the police said.

Taking up investigation in a number of cases of robbery and arson in government officials’ colonies, a police team conducted raids in parks and near liquor shops where juveniles in conflict with the law usually assembled and arrested Sanjay (20) at Tanga Stand in Lodhi Colony on Tuesday. His juvenile accomplice was also detained.

The police claim to have recovered a knife, house-breaking implements, and some stolen articles from them.

During interrogation, Sanjay purportedly told the police that he along with some juveniles was involved in several cases of burglary and theft.

Sanjay had earlier been arrested along with his juvenile accomplice for allegedly breaking into a police officer’s house and setting his uniform and other articles on fire.

The juvenile was sent to a children’s home from where he escaped along with 34 juveniles on May 15. The juvenile has escaped from the children’s home a couple of times in the past seven years, the police said.

The gang disposed of stolen articles through their contacts in the Badarpur area. The police said efforts were being made to arrest the receivers of the stolen property.

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