Jharkhand News : A shocking incident of arson has been reported from Sua village’s Nirala Tola under the Sadar police station area of Medininagar in Palamu district, Jharkhand. A grocery and general store was allegedly set on fire after the shopkeeper refused to provide cigarettes.
The incident occurred late on Wednesday night. After receiving information, police from Sadar police station and a fire brigade team rushed to the spot and managed to bring the fire under control.
Dispute Over Cigarettes
According to the shop owner Rajesh Kumar Gupta, four youths arrived at his shop late at night asking for cigarettes and began banging on the shutter. When he stepped outside, the youths — identified as Ritik Singh, Chhotu Singh, and two others from a nearby locality — allegedly abused him and even grabbed his collar when he told them that cigarettes were out of stock.
The youths reportedly left in anger and threatened him before leaving.
Shop Catches Fire Soon After
A short while later, the shop suddenly caught fire. Rajesh immediately informed the police and the fire brigade. Local residents also gathered and helped control the flames.
Wedding Goods Worth Lakhs Destroyed
Rajesh said that his brother Chhotu Kumar Gupta’s wedding is scheduled for March 11, and goods worth about ₹1.5 lakh had been purchased and stored in the shop. Additionally, ₹80,000 in cash was kept there.
All the wedding items, cash, and shop goods were destroyed in the fire. The total loss is estimated to be around ₹10 lakh.
Police Complaint Filed
Rajesh has filed a complaint accusing the four youths of setting the shop on fire. He has urged the administration to take strict action so that such incidents do not happen to anyone else. Police have begun investigating the matter.
