While the five minors were arrested in the wee hours today, their 'boss' Rashid is yet to be captured by police, which claims to have solved three incidents of murder and house burglaries in the area.
The five fell into the police net at 4 AM in Vikas Puri where police laid a trap to arrest them based on a specific input that they would assemble in the locality.
Police action came nine days after the gang struck the house of one Joginder Kaur and allegedly murdered her while committing burglary.
Fixed deposit receipts worth Rs 3.5 lakh, a pair of silver anklets, a screw driver, one plier and two robbed SIM cards were recovered from their possession.
The juveniles, whose parents are rag-pickers and rickshaw pullers, hail from West Bengal and were led by Rashid, the alleged mastermind of the gang.
During interrogation, the juveniles said Rashid used to cultivate them to commit crime and keeps large amount of booty with himself as a token of security.
"In the day time, Rashid used to work as a labourer in the tent houses and recee the place where they would strike at night. They particularly target houses where female senior citizens are living alone as it is very easy to overpower them and least chances of their identification," V Renganathan, Additional Commissioner of Police, West District, said.
The juveniles used to remain under the influence of alcohol and act as directed by Rashid.
On the intervening night of June 19 and 20, they struck Kaur's house in Vikas Puri and asked her to give her valuables, but when she denied and attempted to raise alarm, they injured her with poker-like weapon.
"In this scuffle she fell down and Rashid put his leg on her neck and pushed forcibly leading to her death," the officer said.
