Guwahati: Youth Caught Attempting Arson at Bamunimaidam Market; 4 Accomplices Flee

Tension gripped the Bamunimaidam Railway Colony area late Wednesday night after a group of five miscreants attempted to set fire to shops in the market. While four of them managed to escape, one youth was caught red-handed by alert locals and handed over to the police.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident took place around midnight when the five individuals arrived with matchsticks and bottles filled with kerosene. As they prepared to ignite one of the shops, local traders noticed the suspicious activity and immediately confronted the group. In the ensuing chaos, one of the accused was overpowered while the others fled the scene.

The youth, later identified as Safikul Ali from Mangaldoi, was detained by the residents and reportedly admitted during questioning that he and his accomplices were each paid ₹8,000 to carry out the arson. However, he did not reveal the identity of the person who had hired them for the task.

Following a public beating, Safikul was handed over to the Chandmari Police. However, his arrest was met with resistance from a group of individuals who tried to prevent the police from taking him into custody. Senior police officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), later reached the police station to oversee the situation and ensure smooth progress of the investigation.

This fresh attempt follows a string of arson incidents in the area. In the last two days alone, at least seven shops in the Bamunimaidam Railway Colony Market have been set on fire, causing panic among the local business community.

Meanwhile, in a related incident, Chandmari Police on Thursday morning arrested another youth, identified as Durgesh Gupta, in connection with an attack on police personnel. Gupta had reportedly assaulted officers with sticks and bare hands when they responded to a disturbance in the area on Wednesday night. He has been taken into custody and is currently being interrogated.

A case has been registered at the Chandmari Police Station, and investigations into both the arson attempt and the assault on police are underway.

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