Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Jahangirabad police have arrested a man in connection with fire at three furniture shops situated in Jinsi area on the intervening night of February 17 and 18, said the police here on Tuesday. Furniture worth Rs 20 lakh was gutted in the blaze. The man had set the shop ablaze over monetary dispute with the shop owner.
Police said the fire broke out near the Jinsi square area at 2 am leaving three shops gutted. In the primary investigations, a short circuit was suspected to be the cause of the fire. However, after the traders pointed at foul play, the police started investigating from different angles.
The shop owner claimed that someone had set ablaze his shop. During investigation police zeroed in on Ahshan Shah, a resident of Ashoka Garden area, for having some linoik with the arson. Police apprehended the man and during interrogation he confessed to have committed the crime.
The accused told the police that he used to supply furniture to the shop owner. Shah was angry with the shop owner as he was not returning the money he had borrowed from him. The shopkeeper was claiming that he had already returned the entire amount. Annoyed over this, Shah set the shop ablaze.
Locals had alerted police and fire brigade about the blaze and fire tenders from Pul Bogda, Govindpura and Fatehgarh fire stations were rushed to the spot. Fire fighters took around 1.5 hours to douse off flames. The fire had gutted tables, chairs, sofas and other goods kept at the three furniture shops. The traders claimed that goods worth Rs 20 lakh, were destroyed in the blaze.
