Girl accused of running arms racket sent to observation home

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav took into consideration the findings of a medical board to conclude that the girl, who is pursuing Class XII through Open School stream, is a juvenile.

"Now that there is prima facie material on the basis of which the accused appears to be a minor, she should not be sent to judicial custody. She should immediately be shifted to observation home," the court said.

The court had ordered the constitution of a medical board to go into the issue of determining the age of the girl, arrested on November 12 along with Riyaz Mohammed alias Pappu (42), her accomplice by Delhi police's Special Cell.

"Today, the report of the ossification (bone) test of the accused done through a medical board has been placed before me, whereby it has been opined that the age of the accused is more than 17 years but less than 20 years," CMM Yadav said.

The court, meanwhile, directed Munna Baksh, who claimed himself to be the father of the accused, to approach Juvenile Justice Board for deciding his application seeking custody as well as the bail.

The police claimed to have busted a racket with the arrest of the girl and her associate from a restaurant in Brijouri near Wazirabad here. They also claimed to have recovered four semi-automatic pistols from their possession.

According to the police, the gang used to purchase weapons from Munger in Bihar and some other places in Jharkhand and bring them to the capital after concealing them in footwear packets.