NEW DELHI: A businessman was arrested for setting a poet’s car on fire following a dispute over parking in southeast Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar on Sunday.
Delhi bizman sets car on fire after tiff in Lajpat Nagar
The car belonged to Kunwar Ranjeet Chauhan (40), founder of cultural organisation Jashn-e-Adab. The CCTV footage of the incident shows a group of men throwing petrol on the car’s bonnet parked in front of Chauhan’s residence in F Block, then setting the car on fire and fleeing the scene.
“The main accused, Rahul Bhasin, along with six others, were arrested after a 600-km chase from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. The car used by them to flee has also been recovered,” said DCP (South East) Ravi Kumar Singh, adding that no injury to anyone was reported. Further probe is underway.
Speaking to TOI, Chauhan said, “I discovered the attack after our neighbours alerted us – both my wife and I were away from home at the time. The CCTV footage revealed how they first vandalised our car before setting its bonnet on fire.”
“It began as a parking issue, which escalated when the same individuals started drinking in the local park and misbehaving with the locals. Though I filed a police complaint in Aug, and police acted promptly, the suspects would get bail within 24 hours and resume their harassment,” he said. “The situation turned more threatening on Nov 29 when one of them verbally abused me outside my house. The next day, they torched my car. I’ve received multiple death threats throughout this ordeal,” Chauhan said.