Mamring fire renders 50 families homeless

ACT OF ARSON PINNED ON DISGRUNTLED LABOURER ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL QUARRYING; MAIN ACCUSED ON THE RUN
NAMCHI, 29 Feb: More than 50 families were rendered homeless after a fire broke out at around midnight on Tuesday at Mamring below Namthang, South Sikkim. From available information, the fire was an intentional act of mischief which blazed out of control, affecting more people than the perpetrator had allegedly intended. The accused is absconding.
At the root of the incident was a heated discussion between a tenant and his landlord earlier in the day at the riverside. The tenant, Shanti Subba, it is informed, was a labourer engaged in a sand quarry there. It is suspected that still seething from his argument with his landlord, Rudra Bahadur Mishra, he returned at round midnight and set a Kutcha house on fire as an act of revenge.
This house had many rooms with many families living there as tenants. Soon, the high wind fanned the fire and it raged out of control, razing the entire structure and even spreading to the neighbouring two-storied RCC building which has sustained 60% damage.
Locals informed the Fire Station at Rangpo and the fire personnel along with the locals finally brought the fire under control. No casualties were reported in this incident although some animals kept as pets did fall prey to the fire.
Though the actual damage caused by the fire is yet to be assessed, as per the landlord, around Rs 3.5 lakh in cash was consumed by the flames.
While talking to this correspondent, SP South, Manoj Tiwari, informed that at the root of the original argument, which led to this act of arson, was illegal quarrying at Mamring.
The accused, it is believed, was involved in illegal quarrying and was loading a truck [SK/03/4680] with a load of sand yesterday. On learning of this, the landlord informed the Forest Department, following which, a team led by DFO (T) South seized the truck and placed the driver under arrest. Angered by this development, the accused returned and set fire to a house, informed the SP.
The SP further informed that as per preliminary investigation, the accused had called one of his friends and informed him about his plans to set the house on fire. The accused is reported to originally be a resident of Arithang in Gangtok and the truck seized in the illegal quarrying incident belongs to one Gopal Timsina of Lingmoo, South Sikkim, police sources inform.
The accused has fled from the area and a manhunt is underway with all Police Outposts and Police Stations alerted. Given that Rangpo sits on an intestate border, there is also the possibility that he has crossed over.
Meanwhile, based on telephonic information communicated by the Mamring ward panchayat and as per directions issued by District Collector [South], AK Singh, the SDM HQ, PB Tamang and DPO of Disaster Management Cell Namchi, Pempa N Sherpa visited the affected area.
The victims of the fire have been shifted to a temporary shelter and released relief rations.