KUALA LUMPUR: A 45-year-old man torched his ex-wife’s home in Kampung Labohan Dagang in Banting today after a quarrel.
Kuala Langat district police chief Supt Azizan Tukiman said the man had earlier gone to the victim’s workplace to get her permission to rest at her home as he was having a headache.
The couple was said to have divorced but have reconciled. However, they were not living together.
According to the victim’s statement, after about an hour, the victim’s ex-husband had contacted her and told her to come home immediately.
“He told her that if she is not home in 10 minutes, he would do something bad. When the victim arrived home, a fight ensued and the woman was hit by the man.
“However, she managed to escape and sought help from people nearby,” he said, adding that the victim sustained light injuries.
Azizan said the man, who was enraged, then started torching the house and even smashing the windscreens of a Mercedes-Benz and a Toyota Hilux nearby. He also broke the windows of the house next door.
Members of the public who witnessed the incident went after the man and held him down before the police were call in.
Azizan said police were alerted of the incident at 12.30pm, and the man was arrested.
“He was taken to the Banting Hospital for treatment as he was injured in the incident,” he said, adding that the man would also be tested for drugs.
The Fire and Rescue Department also deployed its men from the Banting and Sepang stations to put out the fire. The house was partially razed in the incident.
The case is being investigated under Section 436 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house.