Kanpur: A 65-year-old leather businessman allegedly set fire to three motorcycles parked inside his house in Gajjoopurwa, Jajmau, on Thursday night, triggering panic among around a dozen relatives who were on the second floor.Residents used water hoses connected to their homes to extinguish the blaze within about 30 minutes.Police reached the spot after receiving information and launched an investigation.The businessman’s son, grocery shopkeeper Vakil Ahmad, said his father, Shakeel Ahmad, had been undergoing treatment for mental illness since 2009. He said Shakeel remained stable while taking his medication, but his condition deteriorated whenever he stopped.According to Vakil, Shakeel left home on his motorcycle after a dispute with his wife on Thursday night. He returned around midnight, knocked on the gate, poured petrol on three motorcycles parked inside the house and set them on fire.Family members said Shakeel had also set fire to two motorcycles at the same house in 2010.Jajmau police station in-charge Sanjay Pandey said there was no loss of life. He added that police were investigating the incident and that legal action would be taken if a complaint was received.
