SUKRAJ Seepaul called “Bread”, a former labourer at the Skeldon Estate was arrested on Thursday for allegedly setting his house on fire.Sukraj shared the two storied wooden and concrete building at Lot 136 Grant 2767, Crabwood Creek with his wife Nalini Seepaul.

The fire started around 06:15 hrs and the loss is estimated to run into millions of dollars as nothing was salvaged in the blaze.

According reports, Sukraj on numerous occasions had threatened to “burn the house down”, when he drank heavily.

He allegedly was also in the habit of verbally and physically abusing his wife.

The Guyana Chronicle learnt that the couple only returned last week from a vacation in the US.

On Wednesday, Sukraj drank heavily and on his return home, he reportedly verbally abused and threatened to beat his wife, forcing her to hide in the bedroom until Thursday morning.

And when the time was opportune, she escaped to her son’s home where she has been staying since.

Last Friday, the man took several household items, put them in front of the house, and set it alight.

“After the aunty left, me see he bring out a sofa set, sheets, wares, TV, microwave and some other stuff and burn them in front the yard,” a neighbour told this publication.

Another neighbour, Chandrawattie Gulab said last night she saw smoke and when she look out, she saw it was coming from one of the bedrooms in the upper flat of the two storied house belonging to the Seepauls.

Gulab raised an alarm but by the time persons started to arrive and form a bucket brigade, the entire building was engulfed in flames.

“Me smell smoke and when me come out me see the upstairs bedroom a smoke so me halla Flah! Flah! And people then start fuh come out but the place blaze up quick and a whole house ketch a fire. When people start fuh come out them couldn’t save anything. The fire too hot so them start fuh soak me house.”

According to the couple’s daughter Devi Seepaul, who lives a few houses away, she saw the smoke but did not know it was her parents’ home on fire.

“I came out of the yard to see what was happening then I notice is our house,” she said.

Devi did not break the news to her mother since she was in a depressed state.

“somebody called and tell she though and right there she faint; since she get the news, she was so shocked till now she can’t talk,” Devi said.

Devi said her mother is a clothes vendor at the Skeldon Market and worked hard to make the home comfortable.

She recently did renovation to the house.