Two juveniles held for firing, extortion attempt in Delhi's Mukundpur; 18-year-old girl injured

New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) Two minors have been apprehended for allegedly opening fire at a house in Delhi's Mukundpur area and injuring an 18-year-old girl in an extortion-related incident, an official said on Saturday.

The incident occurred around 10:40 PM on July 10, when two masked assailants fired a couple of bullets after the resident refused to pay them a monthly extortion amount of Rs 30,000, he said.

"The complaint was lodged by Heera Devi (45), who alleged that two boys, aged 17 and 15 years, came to her home, threatened her, and fired two rounds when she refused to pay extortion money.

"One of the bullets struck her daughter Nisha on the upper left arm," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.

A case under relevant sections of the BNS and the Arms Act was registered. Police traced the two minors to Bhalswa Dairy, using technical surveillance and local intelligence.

On the instance of the 17-year-old minor, police recovered a pistol and a live cartridge used in the offence. During interrogation, he "confessed" that he was previously involved in cases of murder and robbery, the police claimed.

He disclosed that he had earlier participated in the murder of a man named Amit alias Langda in September 2024 along with his associates Vivek alias Tilla and Shivchandan alias Pandit. The latter is currently lodged in jail, they said.

While in jail, Shivchandan allegedly instructed Vivek to extort Rs 30,000 per month from Heera Devi. When she refused to pay, he directed that bullets be fired at her residence to instil fear. Vivek then tasked the minor (17) with the job, citing that as a juvenile, he would face minimal legal consequences. He carried out the act with his 15-year-old associate.

Both juveniles have been apprehended as per legal procedures under the Juvenile Justice Act. Additional sections -- 308(4) (extortion) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS -- have also been added to the case.

Further investigation is underway to identify other associates and to verify the gang's involvement in other cases, police said. PTI SSJ RT RT