Kerala: Elderly man sets village office on fire

Kochi: An elderly man, frustrated by the alleged delay on the part of Amballoor village panchayat officials in conducting re-survey on a disputed property, attempted to set the office on fire on Monday morning. However, only limited damage was caused as two alert staff acted timely and doused the flames before it spread out. Mulanthuruthy police later arrested Chakkalakal Ravi (70), a native of Palakunnumala, Kanjiramattom, who was running from pillar to post with the request for the past several months.

According to cops, he walked into the office with a bottle of petrol around 9.45 am. Only a few officials had turned up at that time and a sweeper was engaged in cleaning the premises. “He asked one of the officials about the ‘progress’ of his application. Upon getting a negative reply, an agitated Ravi poured petrol on two tables used by special village officers and lit it with a match box. The alert sweeper along with another employee acted fast and doused the flames before it spread out. The man walked out and escaped from the scene during the melee,” police said.

Chakkalakal RaviHowever, the cops later held him from his house and registered a case with non-bailable charges under sections IPC 436 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc), IPC 451 (trespass in order to commit offense) and Section 3 (mischief by doing any act in respect of any public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984. Documents kept on the table and adjoining shelf were destroyed in the fire. Police have called for a detailed inventory of damage, including the files, caused by the flames.

“He was provoked by the cold reaction of the panchayat authorities in conducting the re-survey of a disputed land. He had no other cases registered with us earlier and also mentally sound,” said Arun Dev, Sub Inspector, Mulanthuruthy police. Ravi was produced before the Piravom First Class Judicial Magistrate later in the day and remanded. Sheela Satyan, the local counselor, said she took up the issue with the village office following the incident. “The officials there said there were some legal issues pending and that they did not delay his application deliberately,” she said.