Two held for setting 10 vehicles on fire in act of revenge

New Delhi: At least ten cars and two-wheeler vehicles were set on fire in three back-to-back incidents reported on two consecutive nights this week in outer Delhi’s Sawda and Karala areas near Kanjhawala. On Friday, the police claimed to have solved the blind arson cases with the arrest of two men.

Police said one of the arrested men, Akash alias Andy, 19, was arrested earlier in a molestation case which was registered on the complaint of a woman living in the same neighbourhood where the parked vehicles were set on fire. Police said the man was annoyed and was allegedly taking revenge from the residents of the neighbourhood by setting their vehicles on fire. He allegedly involved his friend Kuldeep alias Monu, 30, the second arrest, in his revenge acts, the police said.

Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) SD Mishra said three consecutive incidents of arson in parked vehicles were reported at Kanjhawala police station on September 23 and 24 and three separate cases were registered.

“These were blind cases as no one knew the identity of the criminals. However, local intelligence revealed the suspects were from the same locality. Several local criminals were rounded up and it was learnt that one of the suspects had recently come out of jail. Our teams eventually nabbed the two,” said Mishra.

During interrogation, Akash allegedly disclosed he was addicted to liquor and was sent to jail in a molestation case on the complaint of a woman living in the neighbourhood.

When he came out, Akash allegedly made a plan to take revenge from locals for sending him to jail, the police said.

“On the night of September 23, Akash and Kuldeep set three cars and a motorcycle afire in Sawda. The next night, they set ablaze two cars and four two-wheelers in the Karala area,” added the DCP.