Shillong: Police on Sunday moved ahead with their investigation into the arson that destroyed three vehicles in Dong Umkor village under Pynursla police station, identifying three persons allegedly involved in the incident and issuing summons for their questioning.
The incident took place in the early hours of the day after a confrontation linked to a village fete escalated into violence.
Police sources said the trouble began when the driver of a Maruti Swift was involved in an argument with two men who were returning late at night in an intoxicated state.
The altercation soon turned physical, with one of the men allegedly grabbing the driver by the neck. In the ensuing scuffle, the driver reportedly bit the man’s hand, causing bleeding.
Following the clash, the two men are said to have left the spot and returned with a larger group of people from the vicinity of the fete venue.
Sensing danger, the Swift driver abandoned his car and ran into nearby forested areas to escape further attack.
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When the group failed to locate the driver, they allegedly set fire to the parked Swift.
The blaze spread rapidly, engulfing two other vehicles parked close by — a Mahindra Scorpio and a Datsun redi-GO — resulting in all three vehicles being completely gutted.
Police said videos circulating on social media show bloodstains inside the Swift before it was set ablaze.
However, claims that one of the accused wrote the driver’s name in blood on the vehicle could not be independently verified.
Cases were registered after the owners of the damaged vehicles filed FIRs on Sunday morning.
The owner of the Maruti Swift, along with family members, named and identified some of the suspected individuals in the complaint, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
