A person set fire to the gram panchayat's garbage collection vehicle by pouring petrol on it in Undale, Karad village, on Wednesday afternoon, causing an uproar as the voting for assembly polls in Karad Dakshin constituency was underway. The suspect, identified as Ankush Ramchandra Mulik from Undale, Karad, has absconded, and the police are actively searching for him.

Despite the precautions taken by the police administration to ensure a smooth polling day, the incident disrupted the peaceful atmosphere. The villagers, however, managed to extinguish the fire and prevent further damage. The incident was reported to the Karad Rural Police Station, and a search for the suspect has been launched.

Row over gutter cleaning

According to reports, the garbage collection cart from Undale village panchayat arrived in the afternoon to collect waste and deposit it in the garbage depot. The suspect reportedly objected to the dumping, demanding that the gutters be cleaned first. In a fit of anger, he poured petrol on the vehicle and attempted to set it on fire. The driver jumped from the vehicle on time and even doused the fire.

Although the fire was put out quickly, the suspect fled the scene. A formal complaint has been filed by Gram Panchayat officials, including Village Development Officer Sharad Chavan, Sarpanch Sangeeta Mali, Sub-Sarpanch Ajit Kadam, and Panchayat members Bapurao Patil and Dada Patil at the Karad Rural Police Station. Constable Sunil Mane is investigating the matter, and Karad police are continuing their search for the absconding suspect.