Man sets scrap godowns on fire after wife leaves him; one dies of suffocation

A 36-year-old man allegedly set fire to seven to eight scrap godowns on Bengaluru’s outskirts after his wife left him and moved to her parental home following marital disputes. The fires claimed the life of a man who was sleeping inside one of the godowns.

The accused, identified as Jeevan Raj, a native of Denkanikottai in Tamil Nadu, was working as a vegetable vendor and residing in Suddaguntepalya. He had been married for around eight years and has two children. Frequent quarrels reportedly led to his wife leaving him and moving to her parental home near Attibele along with their son.

Jeevan Raj allegedly attempted to persuade her to return, but she refused. Angered by this, he allegedly targeted scrap shops and godowns in the limits of Attibele, Anekal and Jigani police stations on October 22, according to police.

During one of the incidents, Manikantha, who was sleeping inside a scrap godown, was trapped in the smoke and died of suffocation. Though locals rushed him to hospital, he succumbed despite treatment.

Police examined footage from more than 200 CCTV cameras and tracked down Jeevan Raj after nearly 15 days of investigation. He allegedly confessed to setting the fires during interrogation.

He has been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and taken into custody for further investigation.