Bengaluru Man Arrested After Setting Scrap Godowns on Fire Following Marital Dispute

A 36-year-old vegetable vendor set fire to multiple scrap godowns on the outskirts of Bengaluru after his wife left him following marital disputes. The fires led to the death of a man who was trapped and suffocated inside one of the burning godowns.

The Incident

The accused, Jeevan Raj, targeted seven to eight scrap shops and godowns within the limits of the Attibele, Anekal, and Jigani police stations. He carried out the arsons after his wife refused his attempts to persuade her to return from her parental home near Attibele. During the fires, a man named Manikantha, who was sleeping inside one of the godowns, got trapped in the smoke and later died at a hospital despite receiving treatment.

Investigation and Arrest

Police tracked down Jeevan Raj after a 15-day investigation by examining footage from more than 200 CCTV cameras. During police interrogation, the accused confessed to starting the fires. Authorities have taken him into custody and booked him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Context

Domestic disputes can sometimes escalate into extreme acts of anger and property destruction that endanger innocent bystanders. Police departments often rely on extensive CCTV footage networks to track suspects in complex arson cases where direct witnesses are absent.