IPOH, April 16 — Furious that his love proposal was rejected, a man allegedly set a mobile phone shop on fire in an incident in Langkap near Teluk Intan yesterday evening.
Hilir Perak district police chief ACP Ahmad Adnan Basri said a report of the 3.19 pm incident was lodged by a 46-year-old local woman, who is also the shop employee.
According to the complainant, the 54-year-old unemployed suspect came to the shop at 2.30 pm before throwing a fit, injuring her and uttering obscene words.
The suspect also threatened to set the complainant and the shop on fire.
“Out of fear, the complainant rushed to the Langkap Police Station to make a report, and while doing so, the shop belonging to her brother was reported to have caught fire,” he said in a statement today.
Ahmad Adnan said firefighters managed to put out the fire with losses estimated at RM100,000.
According to a witness, the suspect allegedly poured petrol over the premises and set it alight, he added.
He further said that unrequited love was believed to be the motive behind the incident, as the suspect often came to the shop drunk and tried to court the complainant but was rejected because she is married with three children.
“The suspect also suffered burns to his face, hands and legs. During the arrest, the suspect was believed to be under the influence of alcohol,” he said, adding that the man was sent to the Teluk Intan Hospital for treatment.
The suspect has been remanded for five days to assist in the investigation under Section 435/323 of the Penal Code.
