Cuttack: A woman has claimed responsibility for the fire, which damaged four vehicles at Chandini Chowk in Odisha’s Cuttack city, adjacent to the boundary wall of the High Court premises, on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, the woman said she had deliberately set the fire to draw the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”I bought petrol and soaked old clothes in it. My son and I then boarded an auto-rickshaw, where I wrote a letter. After that, we came here. My son wanted ice cream, so I took him to a stall and asked a young man to record a video as I lit a matchstick. I did not intend to damage any vehicle, but a spark fell on a nearby scooter, causing the fire to spread rapidly. There was hardly any open space here,” she said.
The woman, who seemed incoherent as she tried to explain her actions, claimed she had intended to self-immolate but ran out of petrol.
Police have detained the woman, who hails from Jagatsinghpur’s Biridi area, for questioning.
It was initially suspected that the blaze started in an electric scooter and rapidly spread to other vehicles, two more two-wheelers and an SUV, parked nearby. The vehicles were gutted before the fire could be brought under control.
The thick smoke and flames drew the attention of local residents and passersby, who then alerted the Fire Services. Fire brigade teams soon reached the spot and doused the flames, preventing further spread. No casualties or injuries were reported as the vehicles were unoccupied at the time of the incident.
A lawyer, whose motorcycle was gutted, raised questions about security measures despite repeated mock drills near the court. He also demanded a proper parking lot.
