Bhestan: Police have arrested a 52-year-old man, Abdul Manihar, for allegedly setting fire to the office of Darul Uloom Gousiya Lilbanat madrassa and stealing Rs 7.5 lakh in cash.
According to the FIR, the madrassa secretary, Raees Pathan (60), was alerted to a fire at the premises around 4 am on Tuesday. After the blaze was controlled, he found documents, computers, and furniture in the office and adjoining rooms were gutted. Pathan, who also owns a transport business in Surat, initially suspected a short circuit and feared the cash had been destroyed.
However, upon noticing that the CCTV DVR had been removed, Pathan reviewed footage from a mosque opposite the madrassa, which showed a man entering around 2:30 am and leaving just before the fire.
During investigation, police identified Abdul Manihar as the accused, who allegedly set the office ablaze to cover up the theft. Police inspector Alpesh Gabani stated that Manihar had a quarrel with the madrassa manager about a month ago. Both parties had approached the police but no formal complaint was filed.
Preliminary investigation also revealed that Manihar had allegedly given around Rs 3 lakh to two acquaintances. He was previously involved in the scrap business and now runs a perfume shop. Authorities continue to probe the exact motive and check for potential accomplices.
