21 hours Ago
MUMBAI: A 28-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly setting a woman’s home on fire in Borivali West after a heated argument over a neighbourhood seating spot. The accused, Vishal Udmale, a known troublemaker with previous criminal cases, allegedly threw a petrol-filled bottle into the woman’s house and set it ablaze in the early hours of Tuesday. According to the Borivali police, the victim, Lakshmi Prabhakar Bonala, 34, a resident of Bhim Nagar Chawl, was seated outside her home around 11 pm on Tuesday, chatting with other women from the locality.
Udmale arrived and demanded that she vacate her seat so he could sit there. When Bonala refused and asked him to leave, the accused allegedly became aggressive, hurling abuses at the women present. Sensing trouble, the women stood their ground and forced him to leave, noting that he appeared to be heavily intoxicated.
However, the dispute took an ugly turn later that night. Around 2:30 am, while Bonala and her family were asleep, an explosion startled them. She discovered that a bottle filled with petrol had been thrown inside her house, setting it ablaze.
Bonala rushed out in panic, and upon inquiring, neighbours informed her that Udmale had been seen committing the act. However, he had allegedly threatened the witnesses into silence. The family, along with neighbours, immediately alerted the fire brigade, which arrived promptly and managed to douse the flames before the fire could spread further.
The fire, however, had already caused significant damage, reducing furniture and household appliances—including an air conditioner and television—to ashes. “We barely managed to escape in time,” said Bonala. “Our neighbours helped us to safety, but by the time the fire brigade arrived, most of our belongings had been destroyed.
” Following her complaint, the police registered a case against Udmale under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including section 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman), section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), section 131 (assault or use of criminal force), section 326(g) (committing mischief by fire or explosive substance), and section 351(2) (criminal intimidation). Udmale was arrested and is set to be produced in court on Thursday. “We are investigating further and ensuring that strict action is taken against the accused,” said an officer from the Borivali police station.
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