A routine parking dispute in Southeast Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar erupted into a shocking act of arson, as a man’s car was set ablaze, allegedly by his not-so-friendly neighbor. Police tracked down the 28-year-old suspect in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, over 600 kilometers away from the National Capital. According to the victim, this fiery attack was just the culmination of a string of threats, and he believes that if he had been at the scene, his life would have been endangered as well.

According to the victim, 48-year-old Ranjeet Singh, an Urdu poet, winner of a peace award from Pakistan, and the founder of cultural organisation ‘Jashn-e-Adab’, the accused has been harassing and threatening him for over two years. Despite multiple complaints to police, the authorities used to release the accused, identified as Rahul Bhasin, on bail, Singh said.

The issue came to a boil reportedly after some residents of the locality were not happy with Singh for complaining to the police over them drinking and loitering in the area at night. “I have been living in this locality for about two decades now and the accused moved here two years ago. His landlord and others instigated him against me. They asked him to park his car in front of mine. When I came on July 13, my car slightly touched his car in the parking lot. However, his brother quickly resolved the issue with me and I even agreed to pay for any damage,” Singh said.

However, events took a turn for the worse after that when Bhasin damaged two of Singh’s parked cars with rods. An FIR was registered following which he was arrested on August 14 but released on bail in two hours, he said.

Just two days after he was released on bail, Bhasin came to the area and abused and threatened Singh. “We complained to the police. However, he fled from the place for about a month. Upon returning, he surrendered to the police. He was arrested but was given bail again,” Singh said.

On October 20, Bhasin, allegedly came to the locality in an intoxicated state, brandishing a gun. “He kept his gun inside after he realised there was CCTV surveillance. However, he urinated in front of my house and hurled abuses at me at midnight,” Singh said, adding that when the police arrived he ran away from the place.

On November 5, Bhasin was arrested by the police but eventually given bail. On November 29, Singh lodged a complaint against Bhasin for allegedly damaging his Maruti Suzuki Ciaz parked outside his house, a senior officer said. Upon checking the CCTV footage, Bhasin was seen twisting the rear view mirror of the Ciaz, and parking his own Mahindra Thar in the middle of the road and leaving, the officer said.

Acting on the complaint, police seized the Thar and a probe was initiated. “On the intervening night of November 30 and December 1, the accused brought paint thinner and set the bonnet of Singh’s car on fire,” the officer added. The act was captured in the CCTV camera, and a team was formed to track and nab Bhasin. The police tracked him down in Amethi on Sunday.

The accused had fled to Amethi in his Honda Amaze car. He has been brought back to Delhi and is being interrogated, the officer said. Further investigation in the matter is underway, the police said.

However, Singh says he fears for his life, “If I was present that day, he would have burnt me too. This is happening after I have informed the SHO multiple times about him and he was given bail in some hours. What if he kills me after he is released this time?”

Although, the matter that escalated from a petty parking issue is not a case of Lajpat Nagar alone. In an incident that went viral over social media, a woman and her husband were assaulted by their neighbours in south Delhi’s Amar colony over a quarrel related to a parking spot. The viral video showed the accused Daljeet Singh and four of his family members, thrashing the couple with a wooden log and hurling abuses at them.