Mokokchung Police arrests suspect in Kinunger fire incidents

MOKOKCHUNG — The Mokokchung police on Saturday arrested a person in connection with the fire incidents at Kinunger village in Mokokchung district.

The suspect was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, around 2 am, under Satsu village jurisdiction, informed Additional SP Mokokchung. However, further details were withheld as the investigation is still ongoing.

Kinunger village was rocked by two fire incidents on Friday, where in two houses and a granary were completely destroyed in the incident that took place around 9:40 am, while a church received minor damage, in a suspected case of arson that came to light around 9:40 am on the same day.

Villagers reportedly found three packaged drinking water bottles filled with petrol inside the church, one of which had ignited, and two more petrol-filled bottles were found in vacant houses during a subsequent search.

As part of the investigation, a police team led by Additional SP Mokokchung visited Kinunger village on Saturday to gather more information as well as take statements from the village council leaders and eyewitnesses in connection with the case.

Chairman of Kinunger Village Council, Imlikenba, said that the fire was unlikely to be caused by electrical short circuit, as the houses had been lying vacant for years and electricity connections cut off.

He said that the petrol-filled bottles found inside the church and other houses, as well as simultaneous fire outbreaks at different locations, had prompted the people to suspect an ulterior motive to burn down the entire village.

While maintaining that they have no enmities, neither within the village nor with the neighbouring villages, the Kinunger Village Council assured co-operation with the police investigating the case.

The pastor of Kinunger Baptist Church said that regular church services would continue, but the scheduled revival programme would be postponed due to the unfortunate incident.

An FIR has been lodged on the incident and the police personnel have seized the bottles containing petrol for investigation.