Kolkata, Aug 31: A 22-year-old man in West Bengal's Bardhaman district was arrested on Friday on charges of setting ablaze 7 houses in his village Sahebganj. During interrogation, the miscreant, identified as Arindam Bhattacharya, confessed to his crime claiming that sets structures on fire as "part of hobby".
Additional Police Superintendent Priyabrata Roy said the case is bizarre as the accused had no other motive to set the houses ablaze rather than watching the flames for fun.
The police was further taken back when the villagers claimed that Arindam was the first to run with water to douse the flames after setting the houses on fire.
According to psychiatrist Sujata Das, the 22-year-old could be mentally unwell and maybe indulging in such acts to gain revenge. She claimed that such symptoms have been seen in people who enjoy watching blood.
CO of Bhatar police station, Pulak Mondal said the first complaint against Arindam was registered by one Uttam Dey, whose cowshed was set on fire by him.
On investigation, the police found that the accused had even set his own cowshed ablaze.
Mondal told reporters that during the course of interrogation, Arindam said he was "always blamed" whenever a fire erupted in their village. "So I decided to start doing. Yes I have set houses on fire," he told the police.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2018 04:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).