The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Cars, bikes torched in early morning strikes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 22, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Cars, bikes torched in early morning strikes

Staff Reporter

"Arson could be a handiwork of someone mentally ill"

CHENNAI : Unidentified miscreants set fire to at least 10 two-wheelers and three cars parked in Vadapalani. Several of the vehicles were totally destroyed.

Police said they received information from a resident of South Sivan Koil Street on Wednesday that many vehicles had been destroyed in the last two nights and they did not who was responsible. "We went to sleep after watching cricket till 3 a.m. on Monday. Around 4.45 or 5 a.m., there was a noise in the garage. When we rushed out, we saw our Maruti Wagon R car on fire. The left side doors were destroyed," said S Ashok Kumar. His neighbour Uttamchand, who has been living in the area for last 19 years, said he had never come across anything like this before. The miscreants had torched cars in more than three to four houses between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Vignesh Kumar, another resident of the locality, said he had lost 10 sovereign jewels from his house three days ago. The three motorcycles parked in his house by tenants were completely gutted in the fire on Tuesday night. The miscreants had forced open the petrol tanks of the three two-wheelers, stuffed waste cloth into them and set them on fire.

Two Tata Indica cars parked behind the residence of Mr Ashok Kumar were also damaged. A brand new motorcycle parked inside a residence was also not spared, residents said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (South) G Durairaj said the first complaint came about a fortnight ago. "We suspect it could be the handiwork of someone mentally ill. We have formed a team to arrest the culprits," he said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (T.Nagar) S Baskaran said night patrolling would be stepped up in the area. Vadapalani police have registered case and are investigating.

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