TIRUPATI: Affected by her mother’s ‘bad’ behaviour, a 19-year-old girl was arrested in Kothasanambatla village in Chandragiri mandal in Tirupati on Monday after she went on an arson spree for about a month, setting fire in at least 12 houses in the neighbourhood.
The accused girl, Pillapalem Keerthi, was charged under sections 435 and 506 of IPC. Police seized `30,000 in cash, which she claimed was gutted in the fire she had set in her house. According to the police, the accused had meticulously planned and executed the fire incidents in a bid to ‘reform’ her mother. She allegedly aimed at evicting her own family from the village. “The girl had set several articles on fire at least three times at her house just to frighten her mother,” the police added.
Speaking to reporters, Tirupati Additional SP (admin) J Venkata Rao said that the accused girl resorted to such extreme steps after she failed her intermediate examinations. “While she was preparing for the supplementary exam, Keerthi didn’t like her mother’s behaviour,’’ the ASP said.
Police said that Keerthi gained entry into the houses of the unsuspecting victims, as they were either her relatives or neighbours. She had set fire to the neighbourhood to trigger panic among the villagers. The forensic lab report confirmed that no chemicals were used in these fire mishaps, the ASP said. “The incidents had nothing to do with black magic. We want the villagers to live without any fear,’’ the ASP stated.