KASARGOD: Alex had heard people talking about radiation and the health hazards caused by it, though he didn’t know what it was. What he knew was that radiation was caused by mobile towers.So, he took upon himself the mission of destroying mobile towers and set fire to many of them in Cheruvathur.
Police didn’t realise that they had detained a serial arsonist when they stumbled on an alcoholic while probing the fire at a mobile tower on the premises of BSNL telephone exchange at Cheruvathur on Thursday. What did the accused in was a sachet of ‘Tasty’ pickle used as ‘touchings’ at the crime scene. Additional sub-inspector of Chandera police Padmanabhan identified the accused as Alex, 42, a native of Malaparamb and resident of Mattalai in Pilicode.
The tower, shared by Reliance, BSNL, and Idea, was set on fire around 2.45 am. Cables, microwave unit and power station worth around `50 lakh were destroyed in the fire, said police.
On questioning, Alex reportedly told the police that he set the tower on fire because it emitted “radiation”. Taking him to be a green militant, officers asked Alex what was radiation. The answer baffled the cops. “I don’t know what radiation is, but people told me cables, transformers and towers emitted hazardous radiation,” he told interrogators.
Police said Alex admitted to setting on fire other towers and transformers in and around Cheruvathur. Police now suspect his role behind the fire incidents at two towers and one transformer at his native Malaparamb.
One-and-a-half months ago, a tower atop Canara Bank building on the National Highway in Cheruvathur was set on fire. The police had got an indistinct image of the suspect captured by the CCTV camera installed in front of a private college.
Three months ago, a transformer at Kannadipara sub-station and cable at Mattala were also set on fire.
The police said Alex was once taken into custody for setting power cables near a transformer on fire at Mattalai. He was let off because KSEB did not suffer any significant loss.
Police recovered a can with a mixture of diesel and kerosene, suspected to be used for the attack.
When he was taken to the telephone exchange, employees recognised Alex as the same person who created ruckus at the office on Thursday morning. Police suspect he was reccing the tower for the late night attack.
Alex, who used to drive an autorickshaw for a living in Cheruvathur, now has no regular job, police said. His wife had deserted him years ago.