A CCTV camera captured a masked girl entering the premises around 2.23 am, minutes before the fire, and leaving shortly afterwards, police said. Investigators later identified and apprehended the juvenile
New Delhi: A 17-year-old girl and three others allegedly set a scooter on fire in southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri area to pressure a resident to repay an ₹80,000 debt, triggering a blaze that killed three people, police said on Saturday.
The case has been registered against the juvenile, Sarita, Niranjan, 33, and his brother Rajkumar, 27. Police said the four allegedly targeted a scooter belonging to Deepak, a resident of the fifth floor of a residential building in Tughlakabad Extension, over a monetary dispute.
The fire broke out around 2.20 am on June 12 and quickly spread from the scooter to other parked vehicles before engulfing large parts of the building. Pankaj Pandey, 28, his sister Sonia, 20, and their maternal grandmother Sushila Devi, 70, died in the incident, while eight others were injured.
A CCTV camera captured a masked girl entering the premises around 2.23 am, minutes before the fire, and leaving shortly afterwards, police said. Investigators later identified and apprehended the juvenile.
“The footage became a crucial lead. Based on the evidence collected, police concluded that the blaze was a deliberate act of arson and not an accidental fire,” deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.
During questioning, the girl allegedly disclosed the involvement of the three co-accused. Police subsequently arrested Sarita, Niranjan and Rajkumar, residents of Navjeevan Camp.
According to police, Niranjan and Rajkumar allegedly planned the attack after repeated demands for repayment failed. Investigators said the accused intended to damage the scooter as a warning and did not plan to cause deaths.
Police initially suspected a short circuit and registered a case of negligent conduct with respect to fire and causing death by negligence. After forensic and technical evidence ruled out an electrical fault, sections related to criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, mischief by fire and lurking house-trespass by night were added.
Police received a PCR call about the fire at 2.31 am. Firefighters, police personnel and local residents carried out rescue operations and evacuated several occupants trapped inside the building.
Among the injured were Pankaj’s mother Guddi Devi, 50, who is speech-impaired, and his younger sister Moni, 18, both of whom sustained serious injuries.
