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Indian-origin man in UK admits deliberately starting blaze, awaits verdict
On the evening, the police said initial inquiries quickly determined that the fire had been started deliberately and an investigation was launched. CCTV obtained showed a man with a bag sat on some crates in the area prior to the fire.
A Punjab-origin man is due to be sentenced on June 12 after pleading guilty to deliberately setting fire in a busy commercial centre that destroyed several shops and traumatised people in the east Midlands town of Leicester, the local police said on Friday.
The fire started by Parvinder Singh, 28, became a blaze in the Belgrave Commercial Centre in January 2019. There were people inside the complex but no-one was injured. He admitted to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered in the Leicester Crown Court.
On the evening, the police said initial inquiries quickly determined that the fire had been started deliberately and an investigation was launched. CCTV obtained showed a man with a bag sat on some crates in the area prior to the fire.
The Leicestershire police said: “The man was then seen to crouch over before standing up and walking off - noticing a flame coming from where he had been as he left. The fire was then seen to ignite on the CCTV and the man left the area”.
The image of the suspect was issued in a public appeal and through leaflets which were handed out in the area asking for information. The inquiries led to Singh being identified as the man in the CCTV, and he was arrested in October last year.
Detective constable Gemma Allen said: “This was a devastating incident for residents, business owners and workers in the community. Businesses were completely destroyed and it is extremely fortunate that there were no injuries in the fire”.
“Lives could have been lost on that night because of the actions of one man…I am pleased that a guilty plea has been entered and hope this helps those affected by Singh’s actions as they continue to rebuild from the devastation that was caused that night.”
