4 arrested for physical, sexual assault of minor

New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested four individuals involved in a physical and sexual assault case with a 17-year-old teen to maintain dominance.

An anonymous source tipped the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police about the criminals. The accused were identified as Harish Bhatia (38), Pankaj alias Maya (37), Abhishek alias Aman (25), and Aryan alias Mannu (25), all the accused were residents of Jahangir Puri, Delhi.

According to the police, the case stemmed from a rivalry within the family of one of the accused, which led to the physical and oral penetrative sexual assault on a 17-year-old minor boy. The victim alleged that on September 4, he was intercepted by the accused, assaulted, and humiliated at gunpoint.

The accused also recorded the incident and shared the videos on social media. This act was reportedly a result of

an ongoing feud over the expenses related to a 2019 murder case involving the family of Harish Bhatia.

Following the crime, senior officers instructed the Crime Branch to arrest the offenders quickly, fearing the incident could ignite a gang war.

The team, led by Inspector Sandeep Swami and supervised by ACP Narender Singh, arrested the suspects after gathering intelligence on their hideout in Vrindavan.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime, revealing it was an attempt to assert dominance over their rivals. The investigation also unveiled previous criminal records for the accused, with Pankaj involved in around 20 cases and Harish implicated in six serious cases, including a 2019 murder. These arrests have helped resolve a case registered under multiple charges, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Arms Act.

The accused have a history of involvement in heinous crimes. Pankaj alias Maya is also associated with a notorious gang. He was involved in an attempt by this gang to free a member, Vikas Lagarpuria, from police custody.

The Crime Branch acted promptly to prevent further escalation of violence between the accused and their rival gang.

The Crime Branch continues to investigate the case to prevent further violence between the rival groups.