While residents were ensconced under rajai (quilt) in the chilling cold, a couple of criminals were out in the mission for torching shops and stationary car in Sonari at the wee hours on Sunday.

The criminals whose identity is yet to be ascertained set as many as six shops and a car during the unearthly hours, exposing the night-patrolling aspect of the police.

While the six shops, including three garment shops were gutted at the Aerodrome market, the car was found burnt near Kagalnagar about 500 metre away with under Sonari thana area.

The fire in the shops was prevented from spreading further after a resident could know about the razing fire and informed the fire brigade.

A CCTV footage taken out from the scene where the car was gutted showed how had two youths were moving setting the four-wheeler on fire at about 1.30 am today. There was, however, no footage available concerning the fire at the shops at the Aerodrome market.

OC, Sonari thana, Anjani Kumar Singh confirmed about the arsoning at the Aerodrome market on Sunday. "We have received complaints after six were found gutted at the Aerodrome market. Some unidentified criminals are suspected behind this heinous act, but the motive behind is not known, " said Singh while talking to The Telegraph Online.

The OC, however, pointed out that no one has turned up yet for lodging complaint regarding torching of the car from where they have collected CCTV footage involving two youths.

Singh, when queried, claimed that night patrolling is carried out regularly, adding that they would intensify the night patrolling from Sunday.