In a shocking incident, a 51-year-old man working as a fabrication businessman set his 25-year-old son on fire over a monetary dispute in Bengaluru. The disturbing CCTV footage of the incident, which happened in Valmiki Nagar, Chamarajpet on April 1, has become viral on social media.
The accused, identified as Surendra Kumar aka Babu, a resident of Azadnagar, was taken into custody by the police on Thursday, April 7, hours after his son succumbed to burn injuries at Victoria hospital in the city. The deceased was identified as Arpit Setia.
Police sources said that Arpit had started managing his father’s fabrication business three years ago but was unable to run it properly. He reportedly borrowed over Rs 1.5 crore to run the business besides utilising the rent from a building in Byatarayanapura off Mysuru Road. The father became concerned and started demanding accounts of the business, which Arpit reportedly refused to provide leading to a dispute between the two.
Neighbours saw the duo engaging in a verbal duel inside their godown for over 30 minutes. Arpit then came out of the godown after his father doused him with thinner. A CCTV camera in the vicinity captured Babu lighting a matchstick but he failed to throw it on Arpit. But he succeeded the second time around, and soon Arpit was covered in flames. He ran around shouting that his father has set him afire.
Locals rushed to his help and extinguished the fire. Arpit was taken to the burns ward in Victoria Hospital in an autorickshaw. According to doctors, he had sustained 60% burn injuries. He breathed his last on Thursday morning.
Preliminary investigation by the police suggests that the father and son had been quarrelling for almost a year. According to a police official, Arpit was not keeping proper track of the accounts and refused to share details with Babu, who often used to ask his son about the business accounts.
Police have registered a case of murder based on a complaint filed by Ambarish, a lorry driver and neighbour of Babu, who witnessed the incident. Further investigations are under way.