ERODE: The district police on Sunday arrested two brothers for setting fire to a JCB driver's house in Ramachipuram near Ammapet the previous day following a recent spat over a damage to property.
M Jagadheesh, (34), and his younger brother M Manikandan, (26), of Ramachipuram near Ammapet in Erode were arrested for torching the thatched house of Hari Gopalakrishnan (32), the police said.
An argument had broken out between Jagadeesh and Hari last week after the grocery store of Manikandan's wife Priyadharsini was damaged while Hari was reversing the JCB. On Friday night too, there was an argument between the two regarding this, the police added.
Around 1.30 am on Saturday, Jagadheesh and Manikandan set fire to Hari's house. Firefighters from the Anthiyur fire station put out the fire but the house was completely destroyed. Goods worth Rs 50,000 were gutted, police added.
Hari's mother M Mani (45), who is the house owner, filed a complaint at the Ammapet police station on Saturday. Police registered a case and arrested the brothers on Sunday.
Mani has been living with her son after separating from her husband 10 years ago. "The police are searching for Hari following a complaint filed by Priyadharshini regarding the damage to the grocery store," a police officer said.