Man sets brother's shop on fire in Howrah due to family feud

A personal feud between two brothers took a dangerous turn in Howrah’s Betaitola market when one of them allegedly set fire to the other’s shop, triggering a blaze that engulfed two more shops in the area. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Shibpur police station and resulted in the complete destruction of three shops.

According to initial reports, Santosh Kumar Singh ran a shop in the busy Betaitola market and had been embroiled in a long-standing family dispute with his younger brother, Billu Singh. In a fit of revenge, Billu allegedly set his elder brother’s shop on fire late at night.

The fire quickly spread to two neighboring shops, intensifying the damage. Flames leapt from one shop to the next in quick succession, reducing all three establishments to ashes. The shops contained valuable merchandise and cash, all of which were destroyed in the fire.

Local residents alerted the authorities, and a fire engine rushed to the scene. Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control, but not before it caused significant material losses. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

Following a complaint lodged by Santosh, the Shibpur police arrested Billu Singh on charges of arson and mischief. A formal investigation has been launched to understand the sequence of events and gather further evidence related to the incident.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, as personal animosity escalated into a destructive act with consequences for multiple shop owners. Traders in the area are now calling for increased security and stricter preventive measures against such disputes spilling into public harm.