The main accused in the building fire at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in which seven people died, has been arrested. The police said the man was Shubham Dixit, 27, also known as Sanjay, who started the fire as a revenge on a woman who spurned him. The woman was a resident of the building. She and her mother were safely evacuated during yesterday's inferno.
Sanjay had lent some money to the woman too, the police said. But after her wedding was arranged elsewhere, he started troubling her. He demanded that she return the money and they fought regularly, the police said.
"In the CCTV footage retrieved from the building's parking lot, Sanjay was seen entering at 2.55 am on Saturday and pouring something on the woman's scooter," said Sampat Upadhyay, a senior police officer in Indore.
"The retrieved footage showed a big flash of fire which spread to other vehicles parked there and snowballed into the killer blaze that claimed seven lives," he said, adding that the man was also seen trying to tamper with the CCTV cameras installed at the spot.
"He was arrested late last night. He tried to flee and in the process, fell on the road in Lohamandi area and got injured. He has been accused of murder and mischief by fire intending to cause destruction. "
The woman earlier worked at a fashion boutique and lived in a rented flat in the building with her mother.
The accused is from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.
AdvertisementThe early morning blaze had killed seven tenants, among them a couple who were living there to oversee construction of their house in neighbourhood. The others included a college student from Jhansi, a working girl from Dewas district in Madhya Pradesh, a liquor bar employee and an employee of the adjoining bus depot.
One of those who died had moved in just two days ago.
AdvertisementNine people were rescued from the blaze.
Earlier today, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to every bereaved family.
