An abandoned house belonging to a Kashmiri Pandit that caught fire on Sunday night triggered allegations of arson in retaliation to India’s four-wicket win over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup match.

The fire in the house, located in Handwara’s Batagund village, ignited a storm of protests by Pandits and Right-wing trolls, with many claiming it was further proof of how the community was targeted in the Valley.

Police in a statement said the house belonging to a person named Janki Nath caught fire on Sunday night and suggested that dry grass stored in it appeared to have caused it.

“The house was being used by two locals, including Ab Rashid War (son of Ali Mohd War) and Gh Hassan War (son of Wali Mohd War) of Batagund (with the consent of the owner), for keeping grass and other dry materials, which appear to have caught fire,” the statement said.

“Gh Haasan had been acting as caretaker of the house since the last eight years with the consent of the home-owner,” the statement added.

An FIR has been lodged under relevant provisions of the IPC.

The police said a forensic team had rushed to the spot and collected samples to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The controversy started after Sanjay Raina, who calls himself a “celebrity chef” and an “ambassador of Kashmiri cuisine”, uploaded a video of the burning house on social media.

“The afternoon effect of India defeating Pakistan. A house of Mr Janki Nath of Battagund Handwara was burnt (information not verified),” he tweeted.

The video triggered angry reactions from scores of Kashmiri Pandits and Right-wing trolls.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit said: “This is the house of a #KashmiriPandit Janki Nath ji which was burnt Battagund Handwara, Kashmir by terrorists.”

“The reason #India defeated #Pakistan. #KashmiriPandits continue to suffer since last 32 yrs. #KashmiriPanditslivesmatter,” he tweeted.

Unnerved by the outcry, Handwara district police warned Raina against spreading fake news.

“This is an irresponsible tweet. Pending investigation into the fire incident, any speculation as to the cause should be avoided. Circulation of “false/fake news” and rumours, is a crime under the Indian Penal Code,” the police said.

The police claimed there was a “context” to the fire and revealed that there had been seven similar incidents in Handwara alone in October due to “stored/stacked dry grass/ dry crop” catching fire.

Raina deleted the tweet, but many Twitter users appeared unapologetic.