Mangaluru, Jul 1: Property worth Rs 35 lakh was gutted when a major fire engulfed a hardware store at Jodukatte under the limits of Konaje Police Station.
Even though the exact reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained, police have not ruled out the possibility of arson attack by miscreants.
Shahul Hameed, a resident of Harekala Kisan Nagar, who owns ill-fated the hardware store, also believes that some arsonists deliberately destroyed his property by setting fire to the store.
He ruled out the possibility of short circuit as it was his routine to turn off the main switch before closing the store every evening.
Mr Hameed, who hailed from a poor family, is a hard worker by nature. He had opened this shop with the help of his brothers nearly two years ago. It was a successful venture, according to the brothers.
The incident came to light when a car driver noticed the fumes emanating from the shop in the wee hours of Wednesday and called police station.
However, even before the police and fire extinguishers could reach the spot, the fire had completely destroyed the shop. An adjacent fancy centre also was damaged in the mishap.
Sources said that when the police reached the spot there were signs of unidentified miscreants’ effort to pull the rolling shutter up. Hence, it is suspected that miscreants might have set fire to the shop.
Jurisdictional Konaje police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
Mangaluru Urban Development Authority chairman Ibrahim Kodichal, Zilla Panchayat member N S Kareem and Taluk Panchayat member Muhammed Mustafa also visited the spot.
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