In a bid to extract revenge after serving time behind bars for making obscene MMS clips of girls in Tilak Nagar, Chembur, two men resorted to burning the SUV of the man instrumental in landing them in jail.
Lalit Singh Dhansingh Thakur had learnt that Inayat Ali Khan (25) and Dhanraj had been befriending girls in the area and clicking objectionable pictures and making videos of them. Thakur informed the police about the activities the duo was indulging in and evidence was found on their mobile phones, after which Khan and Dhanraj were arrested. As soon as the duo was released from jail, they hatched a plan to get back at Thakur by burning his car.
Thakur's SUV was parked in Rohini Cooperative Housing Society in Chembur, where he lives, and was set ablaze at 2.15 am on November 26. Arsonists Khan and Dhanraj would have got away with their act, had it not been for the CCTV camera installed in the society premises and some good old investigation skills. While the police managed to arrest Khan, they are on the lookout for Dhanraj.
The CCTV footage shows a duo with faces masked by handkerchiefs dousing the SUV with petrol, setting it ablaze and fleeing the spot. The masked men were difficult to identify, but sleuths zeroed in on Khan after recognising him by his height and mannerism as seen in the footage. Piecing together these facts, the police picked him up. During questioning he confessed that they had set fire to Thakur's vehicle to extract revenge.
Fuel for fireKhan and Dhanraj were roughed up by Thakur two years ago after they were caught clicking pictures and making videos of girls in the area. The duo filed a case against Thakur and he was arrested for assault. During questioning, he informed the police about the camera-happy duo's activities. The police checked their mobile phones and found MMS clips and they were arrested. Thakur was later released on bail.
After Khan and Dhanraj served time and were released, Thakur once again found them clicking pictures of girls in the area and warned them.
Thakur said, "I had warned them and complained to the police as they used to make MMS clips of the girls. They were doing this again recently and once more I warned them. I was asleep on the night of November 26 and my daughter was sitting near the balcony of our first floor flat. She saw our car burning and immediately raised the alarm." Thakur added that he rushed downstairs and attempted to extinguish the flames, but as the fire was winning, he ensured that other cars were removed from the area to ensure the blaze was contained. An official of Tilak Nagar police station said, "We have arrested Khan and are searching for the other accused. They had an old rivalry and hence had set the car ablaze. We will arrest the other person shortly."