Bengaluru: The police have arrested a 67-year-old building owner and security guard on charges of setting fire to a prayer hall by fixing some explosives in Narasipura in Vidyaranyapura. The incident took place early Saturday and the building owner had tried to mislead the police by setting fire to his own building and then filing a case claiming that unidentified people were behind the incident.
The accused have been identified as Krishnappa, the building owner and a resident of Narasipura and Balakrishna, 32, the security guard of the building and a native of Hassan. The police said that Krishnappa, who owns a two-storey building had rented out the second floor to the Taberah Full Gospel Church, while the first floor was rented out for shops and residents. Krishnappa along with his family was residing in the ground floor.
The church was up in flames around 3 am. Passers-by who noticed thick smoke emanating from the prayer hall rushed to the spot and rescued a security guard identified as Balakrishna, before informing Krishnappa, the owner. They later alerted the police control room. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was put out after three hours. Property worth lakhs of rupees, including musical instruments and furniture, were destroyed.
The police reached the spot and took up a case under Explosive Act and several sections under Indian Penal Code (IPC). Senior police officers including Additional Commissioner of police (East) P. Harisekaran rushed to the spot and conducted investigations. The prayer hall was run by a pastor named Raja Rajan, who said it has been functioning in the same area for the past 12 years and had no problem with the neighbours. The church belonged to Protestant group.
Further investigations by the police revealed that Krishnappa had a property dispute with three others in the area, namely one Yellappa, his wife Sharadamma and one Fayaz. The dispute was over a plot – site no. 54 on Narasipura 7th main road. It was learnt by the police that the trio in September last year had lodged an attempt to murder case against Krishnappa as the latter had tried to murder them over the dispute, and Fayaz was the witness, the police said.
Irked Krishnappa decided to take revenge on the couple and Fayaz and conspired with security guard Balakrishna. On Saturday, he along with three other associates and the security guard set fire to the prayer hall by using some explosives and then headed to the police station to lodge a complaint. Krishnappa had alleged that Sharadamma and Faizal are behind the incident. Senior police officials inspected the spot and formed five special teams to nab the accused.
Based on clues the security guard Balakrishna was initially picked for the questioning and during the interrogation he revealed Krishnappa and his associates were behind the incident and they set fire to the prayer hall and then blamed Sharadamma and Fayaz. Based on his statement, Krishnappa was taken into police custody and later confessed to the crime. The police are on the look out for other accused who are absconding.
