Kutch: Anjar police today nabbed Mohammad Rafiq for allegedly burning the houses of 12 labor families who refused to work without payment.

The fire broke out today in the slums of Mochi Bazar area of Anjar, in which around 12 makeshift houses were burnt to ashes. It was later revealed that the laborers living in these houses had refused to work without being paid. Enraged by this, contractor Mohammad Rafiq, who regularly harassed and exploited the laborers, spread the inflammable substance on the houses and set them alight. The residents of the huts managed to escape while trying to save their lives. With 12 homes burnt, around 50 people are now homeless and have lost everything in the fire. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported in the incident. It is learned that Rafiq used to pay the laborers Rs. 100 after a full day of work and also issued death threats to them.

Later, the police arrested accused Rafiq while he was attempting to flee from Anjar Railway Station and have booked him under sections related to mass murder in the IPC. DeshGujarat