News

Alexander Bastrykin orders Investigative Committee to take up case over fire set to house to take selfie in Kostroma Region

Following instructions of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee the criminal case opened into arson of an apartment house in Kostroma Region has been transferred from the police to the Kostroma Region investigative authority for further investigation. In addition, an investigation has been opened into a crime under Part 3 of Article 30, Part 2, items “a” and “f” of Article 105 (murder of two or more people by a generally dangerous way).

According to investigators, in early September 2016, a 19-year-old local resident and his 17-year-old girlfriend set fire to several cars in Kostroma District and to a two-floor 12-flat wooden house in Sverdlova Street in the city of Kostroma. The young couple made selfies with raging fire in the background. By a lucky accident nobody of the tenants was hurt, however, the house was badly damaged by the fire. By now 4 randomly chosen vehicles are known to have been burnt.

The perpetrators were detailed by the police who opened a case in a crime under Part of Article 167 of the RF Penal Code (deliberate destruction or damaging of another’s property committed by a generally dangerous way). The 19-year-old has been placed in custody pending trial.

On the initiative of the Kostroma Region Office of the Investigative Committee the case has been withdrawn from the police and handed over to the Major Cases Department of the Kostroma Region Office for further investigation.

At the moment, investigative and search operations are underway to register the evidence and to reveal other possible crimes. The progress of the investigation is under personal control of the Chairman.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                              V.I. Markin