The Crime Of Arson

Introduction

Arson is the crime of intentionally and maliciously setting fire to buildings, dumpsters, wild land areas, vehicles or other property with the intent to cause damage it. It may be distinguished from other causes such as natural wildfires and spontaneous combustion. Arson often involves fires deliberately set to the property of another or to one's own property as to collect insurance compensation.

A person who commits this crime is called an arsonist. More often than not, they use accelerants (such as kerosene or gasoline) to ignite, directionalize, and propel fires.

Degrees

In many countries, arson is divided into degrees depending on the damage and sometimes on the property loss but more commonly on its use and whether the crime

• Arson sometimes used to destroy evidence relating to some crimes illegal activities, manufacture of illicit liquor, prohibited drugs, counterfeit currency, illegal explosives, arms, ammunition and the like, smuggling and the smuggled goods, clandestine press, laboratories, etc. Nature

A fire is usually accidentally or malicious. In malicious fires, evidentiary clues fix its nature, its mode and its identity and link (or de-links) a suspect with the incident.

In accidental fires, clues establish its accidental nature and identify the negligent person.

Spontaneous fires are due to autoxidation or decomposition. The processes, sometimes, create enough heat to start fire. They are extremely rare.

1. Malicious Fires

The common target of the arsonists in india used to be ( and still is, in rural areas) cattle sheds, hay stacks, crop stacks, standing crops and jungles. Factory godowns, government buildings, factory premises, vehicles, etc are the targets of the political arsonists or of the white collar criminals in cities, today. They destroy their records of fraudulent activities. Indiscipline among students leads to burning of buses, railways stations and