Hyderabad:

A man, said to be in an inebriated condition, was arrested after he ignited a lighter and started a fire at a petrol pump in Hyderabad on Saturday evening, officials said. 

The incident took place around 7 pm when the accused, identified as Chiran, arrived at the petrol pump in the Nacharam area in a visibly drunk state, with a cigarette lighter in his hand. One of the employees at the petrol station, Arun, asked the accused if he was planning to light up the device. He, then, challenged and provoked Chiran to light it up if “he had the guts” to do so.

Reacting to this, the accused lit up the lighter while the employee was dispensing fuel in a scooter – resulting in a sudden burst of flames.

There are were around 10 to 11 people at the petrol pump, including two employees, when the fire was ignited.

A CCTV footage of the incident shows a chilling moment as a woman and a child standing near the fire made a narrow escape. All the other people standing at the petrol pump can be seen running away.

The police also arrested Arun and charged the duo with mischief by fire and explosives.

Both the accused, who hail from Bihar, will be presented in court, the police said.

“This dangerous act not only put lives at risk but could have caused a catastrophic explosion, especially in this crowded area with heavy traffic,” Inspector G Rudvir Kumar, Nacharam Police, said.

Kannur:

A police driver has been booked for attempt to murder after he dashed into a petrol pump employee and drove with the man on the bonnet on being asked to pay for the fuel he filled, police said on Monday.

The accused has been arrested and suspended from service, they said.

Kannur city police commissioner Ajith Kumar said various sections including attempt to murder were imposed against the accused and he was suspended from the service.

The arrest of the accused was recorded on Monday, police added.

The employee, Anil, was attacked when the police driver allegedly tried to leave without paying the amount for the fuel on Sunday evening, police said.

CCTV visuals of the man, clinging to the bonnet of the speeding car as it travelled along a busy highway for nearly one kilometer, went viral on social media platforms soon.

In the video, Anil can be seen having an argument with the accused, identified as K Santhosh Kumar.

As the argument escalated, the driver suddenly accelerated the car, where the petrol pump employee was thrown onto the bonnet of the vehicle. The car with the staff on the bonnet travelled and stopped after covering nearly a kilometer along the busy road.

Anil, who suffered injuries to his hands, later lodged a complaint with the Town Police. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)