Man held for setting shops ablaze over business rivalry

The police have arrested a man for allegedly setting three shops on fire in the Shahpur area of Pinjore, over a business rivalry.

The accused, Pradeep, was arrested from New Delhi and has been remanded to police custody for two days.

The complaint had been filed by Manveer, a shop owner, at the Pinjore police station on January 4. He told the police that his readymade clothes and cosmetics shop had caught fire the previous night. The fire also engulfed two adjacent shops—Lokendra Singh’s garment shop and Dharmendra’s hair salon—causing significant losses.

Upon investigation, CCTV footage revealed two suspects fleeing the scene after setting the shop ablaze.

A team led by Sub-Inspector (SI) Pradeep Kumar, with the support from the Cyber Cell, tracked the accused down to New Delhi.

According to the information, Pradeep, a native of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, has been residing in Shahpur Madhawala as a tenant for the past some time.

The police found that he had committed the crime over a business rivalry. His mother owned the clothing shop next to Manveer’s, which had been facing a decline in sales. To do away with the competition, the accused resorted to arson.

Meanwhile, a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) had earlier been registered at the Pinjore police station and further investigation is underway.