Mysore/Mysuru: City Police have cracked the library burning case with the arrest of a person, who has been accused of throwing a match stick into a sofa repair shop behind the library, which caused the fire. This had resulted in the library of Kannada book-lover Syed Isak getting destroyed in fire in the wee hours of Apr. 9.

Disclosing this at a press meet at his office here yesterday, City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta, who briefed presspersons by displaying CCTV footages, said that sheer negligence on the part of accused Syed Nasir by throwing a lit match stick on sofa waste after lighting a beedi caused the fire. The 35-year-old accused was arrested yesterday morning at Rajivnagar, based on CCTV footages and statements from witnesses, he added.

Dr. Chandragupta said that Kannada book-lover Syed Isak had built a library with zinc sheet roof at the corner of a playground in Rajivnagar 2nd Stage and was running the library for the benefit of public since 11 years. But in the wee hours of Apr. 9, the library was destroyed in fire and Syed in his complaint to Udayagiri Police, had suspected the hands of those who had destroyed his library earlier to be behind the incident. Based on the complaint, a case was registered and the Police had taken up the investigation. 

Based on the footages of the CCTV camera installed at a house nearby and statements from witnesses, the cause of the fire has been found. 

Explaining about the CCTV footages, City Police Commissioner said that accused Syed Nasir, at about 10.10 pm on Apr. 8 goes to the shop behind the library and purchases beedi and a match box. He then  goes to the sofa repair shed (also behind the library) belonging to Khaleemulla Khan for a smoke and after lighting the beedi he throws the lit match stick on old cushion and other waste and proceeds on Albadar Masjid Road via the Kannada Library to his home.

Continuing, the Top Cop said that at about 10.16 pm, a small fire breaks out and local residents Syed Asgar and Syed Azaruddin, who notice the fire, pour sand over the fire and extinguish it. But the fire was not completely doused and the cushion and other waste again catches fire.  The fire then spread to the Kannada Library, destroying it. The Police, with help from the public managed to douse the fire, he added.

Dr. Chandragupta said that the investigation is continuing and as of now, it is confirmed that the fire had spread from the sofa repair shed. It is to be known whether accused Syed Nasir had any differences with sofa repairer Khaleemulla Khan and whether the fire was intentionally put or was it an accident. But Khaleemulla has not lodged any complaint in this regard, he added.

Devaraja Sub-Division ACP M.N. Shashidhar guided Udayagiri Inspector P.K. Raju, Sub-Inspectors M. Jaikeerthi, Madan Kumar and P. Nataraj, Assistant Sub-Inspector K.S. Diwakar and staff M. Shankar, Mahadevaswamy, P. Anandkumar, Siddique Ahmed, H.D. Gopal, Rajesh, Mohan Kumar, Shivarajappa, Vinod Rathod, Sameer and Nazia Banu in the investigation. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dr. A.N. Prakash Gowda was present at the press meet.