2 held for setting vehicles on fire

The Bhandup police have arrested two history-sheeters for setting a dozen motor vehicles on fire to create pressure on locals to extort money through parking charges at Hanuman nagar.

The arrested persons are Dharmendra Rambahal Pandey (23) and Kristen Shankar Nadar alias Madan (26). Pandey and Nadar had burnt ten two-wheelers and two cars. They have been arrested on Monday night for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage (Section 435) of the Indian Penal Code. Pandey and Nadar have been remanded to police custody of four days.

The two goons wanted to extort money through parking charges which the locals had opposed. To seek revenge, they had set the vehicles on fire. The incident had occurred on March 27 at Hanuman Nagar near Tansa pipeline at Shrirampada at Bhandup (W). According to Sachin Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7), “Based on a tipoff, the two history-sheeters were arrested on Monday night from Bhandup. A team was dispatched to nab the two accused. They have confessed to the crime. The motive was to create fear among the locals so that they would be forced to pay illegal parking charges for the vehicles.”

The police are trying to further investigate if more people are involved in the crime.

Nadar was previously arrested in three cases of assault and two cases of housebreaking thefts by the Bhandup police. After serving his sentence, he was released in March 2016.