NAMAKKAL: Two thatched houses and a coconut storage shed were gutted in a suspected arson near Rasipuram in Namakkal district in the early hours of Wednesday, destroying around 15,000 coconuts and killing 20 country chickens and a pet dog.Police said K Arumugam, a tree climber from Vadugam Panangadu near Rasipuram, had set up two thatched houses and a coconut godown near the Panangadu Veterinary Hospital. He was also rearing country chickens and a pet dog on the premises. According to sources, nearly 15,000 coconuts were stored in the godown. Arumugam lives elsewhere in the area.In the early hours of Wednesday, unidentified people allegedly set fire to the two thatched houses and the coconut storage shed. The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the entire premises.On receiving information, personnel from the Rasipuram fire and rescue services station rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze.Namagiripettai police registered a case. They launched an investigation to identify the culprits and ascertain the motive behind the suspected arson.
