Residence of MNREGA whistleblower in Gumla destroyed in mysterious fire

Gumla: A fire broke out at the residence of Imran Khan in Goya, Gumla district, causing approximately five lakh rupees in damages. The incident occurred at 2 a.m., leading to chaos in the village. Local police, including SHO Amit Kumar Choudhary and SI Vivek Srivastava, along with villagers, managed to bring the fire under control. However, significant losses were incurred, including a new Apache bike, gas cylinder, inverter, mixie, fan, sofa, dressing, bed, shop counter, photo copy machine, and documents, all reduced to ashes. The cylinders in the house exploded during the fire.
Imran Khan had recently filed a complaint with BDO Dinesh Kumar on December 20, exposing the alleged embezzlement of MNREGA funds through the creation of job cards for minor children. Three days after raising his voice against the middlemen involved, a fire broke out at Imran’s house. He suspects foul play, alleging that those involved in MNREGA corruption targeted him in retaliation. Imran had also lodged an application at Ghaghra police station on December 22, expressing concerns about his safety and property, naming individuals from the village as potential threats. The police assured a thorough investigation into the incident. Imran believes the fire was a deliberate act orchestrated by those implicated in the MNREGA corruption case.