Vinay Kumar
Pune: The Parvati police have booked a 38-year-old daily wage worker for allegedly setting his shanty on fire in Savitribai Phule Vasahat on Sinhagad Road following a domestic dispute. The arson, which occurred around 9.30pm on Thursday, resulted in the death of three pet cats and destruction of the family’s belongings.Police have charged the accused with mischief by fire and animal cruelty after his 36-year-old wife, who works as a domestic help, lodged a formal complaint.According to senior inspector Rajendra Sahane of the Parvati police, the incident was triggered by the husband’s alleged extramarital affair. “The complainant’s son had spotted his father with another woman in Kothrud. The wife then went to Kothrud to confront the woman, leading to a heated argument,” Sahane said.The confrontation escalated when the other woman called the husband to report the clash.“The complainant then called her husband and argued with him for a few minutes,” he said.Enraged, the husband—who was at home at the time—poured fuel across the rented shanty and set it ablaze.“It is a small house in a densely populated slum pocket, and there was a significant risk of the fire spreading to adjacent shanties,” Inspector Sahane added. While the fire was contained to the single room, the heat and flames were fatal for the family’s pets. “Three pet cats died of severe burn injuries, and all household articles were reduced to ashes,” the officer said.The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for mischief by fire and cruelty against animals.
