An 85-year-old woman from Kankani Hanuman Bazar area under Loyabad Police station was burnt alive in a late night fire on Sunday at her son’s grocery shop. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Anant Mittal, the shop owner who lives at Galla Patti locality of Karkend, closed his shop at around 9 pm and went home, leaving his mother who resided in the shop inside.

Mukesh Pandit, a nearby tea stall owner, who spotted smoke and fire coming out of Mittal's shop, raised an alarm. Later, he went to Mittal's home along with another shopkeeper, Md Salim.

All long a large number of neighbours and other shopkeepers who had gathered at the accident site tried to douse the fire and called the fire brigade. Shop owner Mittal and tea stall owner Mukesh Pandit suffered minor injuries during their attempt to douse the fire.

Rukmani Devi File picture

Talking to the media, Mittal said, “We are suspecting foul play as several burglaries have occurred in the shop earlier. The fire doesn’t seem to have been caused due to a short circuit”

“My mother has been living in the shop for several years and we are shocked and deeply hurt by her demise,” said Mittal.

Social worker and president of Loyabad Muslim Committee, Md Imtiyaz Ahmad said, “The tragic incident has shocked one and all in the locality and we demand a detailed police investigation into the incident. The role of some anti-social elements behind the incident cannot be overruled."

Officer in charge of Loyabad police station, Chunnu Murmu said, “We have lodged a case against some unidentified persons and sent the dead body for postmortem. A detailed probe will be carried out to find the reasons behind the fire.”