Ghaziabad: Three parked cars charred in fire near Mussoorie, suspected abuse

Three parked cars were completely charred in a fire that broke out in Kushalia near Dasna late on Thursday night, police said, adding that they suspect that the fire may have been started deliberately by unknown people.

The three cars include a Brezza and two Balenos belonging to Shahid Umar Khan, a former headman of Kushalia village. The incident happened around 12:30 on Friday in an open space where residents usually park their cars.

“Around 12:30, we heard the screams of local residents, many of them were preparing videos. We rushed there and tried to put out the flames that engulfed my three cars. With the help of local residents, the fire was extinguished, and the police were also called. The fire department has also been alerted,” Khan said.

Residents scanned CCTV footage in the area, but no suspicious movements of people were seen.

The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Mussoorie Police District.

“The windows of the cars are broken, and it seems that someone set them on fire from the inside. I did not name anyone in the statement to the police, but it seems that this was a deliberate act by unidentified persons. All the three cars were completely burnt, while other cars parked nearby were completely saved,” Khan said.

The fire department said the call came in around 1:34 a.m. on Friday.

“The fire brigade went to the place. By the time we arrived at the site, local residents had extinguished the fire with the help of water drawn from deep pumps. Our crews helped to completely extinguish the coal. There were no casualties or injuries, but three vehicles were completely gutted,” said Rahul Pal, chief fire officer.

Police said they will soon register an FIR and investigate the matter.

“All three cars were completely damaged. It appears that the incident was a deliberate act and not an accident. In the near future, we will file a case against unidentified persons and investigate. Our teams visited the spot after the police received a 911 call late in the evening,” said Siddharth Gautam, assistant commissioner of police, Mussoorie/Muradnagar district.