Youth ‘torches’ girl’s home in Kullu village after rejection of marriage proposal
Girl’s father alleged he saw the suspect fleeing in his vehicle
A shocking case of alleged arson has surfaced at Tandi village of Anni subdivision in Kullu district, where a youth has been accused of setting a house on fire after a girl’s family refused his marriage proposal.
According to the complaint lodged with the police, Rajesh Kumar of Tandi village alleged that a youth identified as Pankaj Sharma had threatened him two days prior to the incident.
He had reportedly warned over the phone that if his proposal to marry Rajesh Kumar’s daughter was declined, he would set the entire family ablaze.
On Friday night, around 10 pm, Rajesh Kumar and his family had finished dinner and retired to their room. Around 10.30 pm, their neighbour Guddi Devi noticed flames erupting from the house and raised the alarm. Her timely intervention proved critical. The family members came out immediately and narrowly escaped what could have turned into a fatal tragedy.
Locals gathered at the scene and managed to control the fire before it could spread further. Had it not been for the alert neighbour, the consequences could have been far more severe.
The fire caused significant property damage. Stored deodar wood, apple crates, plastic kilts, firewood and electrical wiring, including meter cables, were reduced to ashes.
Rajesh Kumar alleged that at the time of the incident, the accused was seen fleeing the spot in his vehicle. The matter was promptly reported to the police outpost in Luhri at around 10.45 pm.
A case has been registered at the Anni police station under relevant sections of the law and an investigation is underway.
Kullu Superintendent of Police Madan Lal Kaushal stated that the police had initiated a detailed probe and teams were looking for the accused.
