The suspect, identified as Akash Yadav, was arrested on Wednesday after officers examined CCTV recordings from Yadav Nagar, near Khairani Road. Police said the footage showed him carrying a bottle containing petrol between 5 am and 6 am, around the time the fires broke out.
The cow suffered burns to its mouth, while motorcycles, scooters, electricity meters and parts of commercial premises were damaged in Chaudhari Estate Compound. Firefighters extinguished the flames after residents attempted to contain them and alerted emergency services.
Sakinaka police have registered a case under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and are investigating the suspected arson and damage to property. Senior police inspector Avinash Mandle confirmed the arrest and said inquiries were continuing.
Investigators believe the attacks may have followed an argument between Akash and local resident Vijay Yadav, who owns the injured cow. Vijay told police that the suspect had knocked over several parked motorcycles two days before the fires and allegedly threatened and abused him when challenged.
Vijay suspects that the confrontation prompted the attack on his animal and vehicles parked near his cattle shed. Police have not established the alleged retaliatory motive as a confirmed finding, and the precise sequence of the fires remains under investigation.
The incident was discovered at approximately 5.30 am when Vijay and his younger brother, who were asleep in a room near their cattle shed, heard the animals making distressed noises. They went outside and found flames around the mouth of one cow.
Vijay’s brother immediately put out the flames, but the animal had already sustained burn injuries. It was one of eight cows housed in the shed. The available police account does not specify the severity of its injuries or details of veterinary treatment.
The brothers subsequently noticed fires affecting vehicles and other property in the nearby compound. Members of the family tried to tackle the flames before contacting the fire brigade and police. Firefighters arrived and brought the situation under control.
Police said around 15 two-wheelers were affected, together with electricity meters and portions of three or four commercial shops. Some accounts describe three shops, while others put the number of affected establishments at four. A final assessment of the damage has not been disclosed.
Investigators examined surveillance cameras in the locality and identified Akash from footage recorded during the early morning. Police allege that he poured petrol onto the cow’s mouth and ignited it before starting fires involving parked vehicles and nearby electrical and commercial installations.
The recordings were central to identifying the suspect, who was apprehended within hours of the incident. Police have not publicly detailed whether a petrol container or other material was recovered during the investigation, or whether forensic examination has been completed.
Officers also alleged that Akash was under the influence of alcohol when the fires occurred. That assessment forms part of the police account; no publicly disclosed medical test results were available to establish his condition independently.
Police described Akash as unemployed and said he had previously been implicated in cases involving disturbances in the neighbourhood. The nature and outcomes of those earlier cases have not been specified, and those allegations do not establish responsibility for the present incident.
The allegations concerning the animal and property are being examined as part of the same investigation. Authorities have not announced a monetary estimate for the damage or identified any additional suspects. No further injuries to people have been specified in the available account of the incident.
The complaint centres on both the alleged treatment of the cow and the destruction of property across the surrounding area. Police are examining whether the separate locations were targeted during a single episode. The timing recorded by surveillance cameras overlaps with the period when the family heard the cattle in distress. Investigators have yet to disclose a detailed reconstruction showing when each vehicle or shop caught fire.
The affected properties are situated in Chaudhari Estate Compound in Yadav Nagar, a locality along Khairani Road in Sakinaka. The cow was kept in a shed close to the room where its owner and his younger brother were sleeping when the disturbance began.
