15 people held for torching 21 houses in Bihar's Nawada, more arrests likely: Govt

Nawada: A day after 21 houses were set on fire in Bihar’s Nawada district, a top state government official on Thursday said 15 people have been arrested in this connection.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a land dispute may have triggered the incident, which took place in Manjhi Tola within Mufassil police station area on Wednesday evening, police said.

Nawada District Magistrate Ashutosh Kumar Verma told PTI, "The district police has arrested 15 people for allegedly torching the houses. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate further, and searches are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects." Verma said approximately 21 houses, some of which were semi-pucca, were burned by a group in Manjhi Tola. He added that senior administrative and police officials on-site will provide a report detailing the exact number of damaged houses.

"We are providing relief materials, including food packets and drinking water, to those displaced. Temporary tents have been set up for the victims," he noted. The DM refuted claims that cattle were charred, saying, "No evidence has been found to support that."

Following the incident, Nawada SP Abhinav Dhiman told reporters, "A call was received around 7 PM regarding the fire in Manjhi Tola. Police arrived promptly with fire engines and extinguished the blaze."

He confirmed that initial investigations suggest a land dispute as the motive and that a case has been registered. Another police officer claimed that shots were fired in the air during the arson.