A relationship and subsequent breakup between a duo apparently played a role in the fire that broke out in a building in Indore’s Swarn Baag Colony in the wee hours of Saturday claiming seven lives, The Hindustan Times reported on Sunday from Bhopal quoting the Madhya Pradesh police
Police said Shubham Dixit alias Sanjay, who allegedly set on fire the building in Indore, wanted to get back at a woman living in the building who was reportedly in a relationship with him but broke up with him and decided to marry someone else.
The 28-year-old man was arrested late at night on Saturday from Lohamandi. He tried to flee and injured his leg and a hand, according to The Hindustan Times.
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Police admitted him to the hospital and later arrested him, said Tehzeeb Qazi, police station in-charge, Vijay Nagar. He was scheduled to be produced before the court on Sunday.
According to the police officer, Dixit, a resident of Jhansi, was sore about a woman, who used to reside with her mother in the Swarnbagh Colony building, deciding to marry someone else.
He told the police that they were in a relationship and even lent her 10,000. But she recently got engaged to someone else.
“Late on Friday night, he called the woman for the money. The conversation (near the building) soon turned into a bitter argument. He threatened her. Later, he came to the parking area of the building, took out petrol from a bike, poured it on the woman’s scooty and set it afire,” said Qazi.
Police checked footage of at least 100 CCTV cameras during the investigation. In at least one of the video clips, police saw the man entering the building and later coming out of the building after setting the two-wheeler on fire.
The man also tried to tamper with the CCTV camera and also the electricity meter. The man was seen at the crime scene a few minutes later to check the result. But by then, the fire had spread to the building, the police officer said.
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The woman and her mother safely came out of the building by using a rope on Saturday. Police said they will register statement of the woman who did not disclose her argument with the man earlier.
“The fire broke out in the wee hours of Saturday in a building in Swarn Baag Colony. Some were burnt alive and some suffocated as it was a congested building,” Indore police commissioner HN Mishra said.
The deceased include Ishwar Singh Sisodia (45), Neetu Sisodia (45), Ashish (30), Gaurav (38) and Akanksha (25). Among the dead, two people aged between 40 and 45 have not been identified yet.