Rajakkad: For Rajesh, fire is now burning in his mind. His autorickshaw, the sole source of income for his family, has been set ablaze by antisocial elements three times over the past two years. The police have so far failed to identify those behind the attacks. With even the second autorickshaw he purchased reduced to ashes, Rajesh is now forced to support his family by taking up casual daily wage work.

Rajesh, a resident of Choozhikkara in Mullakkanam near Rajakkad, does not have proper road access to his house. As a result, he used to park his autorickshaw at night in the courtyard of a neighbour’s house.

The first incident occurred on the night of November 11, 2024, when the autorickshaw was set on fire. Rajesh spent Rs 60,000 to repair the vehicle and put it back on the road, but received only Rs 8,000 as compensation from the insurance company. On September 12, 2025, the autorickshaw was torched again. Though it was completely destroyed, the insurance payout was limited to Rs 39,000.

The next autorickshaw, purchased with borrowed funds, met the same fate on December 17, when it was once again once again torched and gutted. This time, Rajesh had installed a CCTV camera at the parking spot. The footage captured a man wearing a helmet and a mask setting the vehicle ablaze. The visuals have since been handed over to the Rajakkad police.