Ghaziabad: A teenaged boy allegedly slipped into a locked house, only to find himself wedged in the very iron grille meant to keep intruders out. By the time he managed to free himself, residents were waiting.The incident took place around 2pm on Thursday in Shalimar Garden. Police said the boy, aged about 16-17, entered the locked house after spotting an opportunity. The house belongs to Pankaj Kumar, who had fitted iron grilles on the main gate to guard against thieves and even monkeys.According to residents, Kumar returned home while the boy was trying to squeeze through a narrow gap in the grille. He spotted the intruder and raised an alarm. In the rush to escape, the boy got stuck between the grille and the wall, drawing immediate attention from people nearby.A crowd gathered within minutes as the boy struggled to free himself. A passerby recorded the scene and shared the video on social media, where it was widely circulated. After nearly 30 minutes of trying, he managed to wriggle out, but was immediately caught by locals.ACP Atul Kumar Singh of Shalimar Garden said the apprehended juvenile was “around 16 to 17 years old” and “habituated to substance abuse”. He said the boy lives with his family in a nearby slum.Police were informed, but no formal complaint was filed. “As no complaint was received, the boy’s family members were called and he was handed over to them on Thursday,” Singh said, adding that they were warned that strict action would follow if such an incident was repeated.The case comes close on the heels of a similar incident on April 11, when a minor allegedly trying to steal from a clinic in Indirapuram got trapped in a narrow gap between a shutter and a wall, prompting a rescue by police and fire department teams.
