Bengaluru: 22-yr-old man sets family home ablaze over money dispute with father

Bengaluru: A 22-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly setting his own house on fire in Avalahalli, on the northeastern outskirts of Bengaluru, by pouring petrol in the dead of night on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 1.30 am when four people — including a gram panchayat member, his wife, son, and daughter — were sleeping inside the house. All of them narrowly escaped as they managed to run out just in time.

The police said Ranjith, the son of the gram panchayat member, doused the walls of the house with petrol and set it ablaze. The occupants woke up after experiencing intense heat and found themselves surrounded by flames.

"They quickly ran out of the house through thick smoke. They did not suffer burn injuries, but experienced minor respiratory issues," an investigator said.

Suspecting a domestic dispute, the police detained Ranjith for questioning. Investigations confirmed that he was responsible for the incident, leading to his arrest.

The police revealed that Ranjith had ongoing disagreements with his father, who had refused to give him money a week ago. This denial reportedly escalated tensions, culminating in the arson attack.

Authorities are further interrogating Ranjith to determine his exact motive and whether he was intoxicated at the time.