In a shocking incident, a Belagavi doctor was arrested by Karnataka police for allegedly setting 11 parked cars on fire, which created panic among the residents of apartments.

Dr Amit Gaikwad, who is working at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) was originally hailed from Kalaburagi.

Gaikwad set on fire to seven cars parked on a road in front of apartments and bungalow in Jadhav Nagar and other places in Belagavi city.

Gaikwad would walk into the parking areas of houses and apartments and confirm that no one was around. He would then place a handful of camphor pieces on the car bonnet, in the air vents under the wipers, then torch the camphor with a lighter, and walk out silently, said police.

He was caught by the security guard while making another attempt at Vivenka apartment in Visvesvaraya Nagar. Gaikwad had placed camphor on one car and was about to torch it, when the security guard caught him and handed over to police.

Police seized petrol/diesel cans, cloth balls, spirit, five cellphones, a lighter, scissors, two knives, a hammer, engine oil from his room, besides a car and a motorbike, reported Times of India.

A report in Deccan Chronicle said that owing to his strange behavior, none of his colleagues at BIMS were on good terms with him and had even removed him from several Whatsapp groups they had created.

The motive behind Gaikwad's actions are still being investigated, senior police officer Seema Latkar said.