BALLARI: The Ballari police on Saturday arrested eight persons, including a few juveniles, in connection with the fire incident at a model house located in the G Square layout, co-owned by MLA G Janardhana Reddy and former minister B Sriramulu.
A case has been registered against Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy at the Cowl Bazar Police Station by BJP followers. Later, a protest was staged against the Congress MLA on Friday night.
A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team rushed to the spot and is investigating the incident. Sources confirmed that substances such as petrol or diesel were found at the site of the fire.
P S Harsha, Ballari Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) said the case had been cracked and eight accused were currently in custody. “Some of those detained are minors. We are verifying age-related documents. Further details will be shared after the interrogation is completed,” he said.
Based on a complaint lodged by site engineer Rizwan, Ballari Rural Police registered a case. According to the complaint, 8–10 miscreants allegedly set fire to the model house, causing damage to furniture and equipment worth approximately Rs 1.25 crore.
A senior police official said that based on CCTV footage, eight people were seen roaming around the model house carrying bottles suspected to contain petrol or diesel. Many of them reportedly belong to the Cantonment area, which is close to the layout. The investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, the fire incident has once again triggered political developments in Ballari city. The BJP alleged that the Congress MLA and his party workers were behind the incident and claimed that during a recent banner clash, MLA Nara Bharath Reddy had publicly stated that he would burn the house. Reacting to the allegation, the Congress said the incident was pre-planned by the BJP and alleged that BJP workers, acting on the instructions of Janardhana Reddy and Sriramulu, set fire to the model house, which has been unused for the last few years.
