India, Feb. 23 -- Labelling them as scare tactics, the resident footpath-dwellers at Jai Bhim Nagar, Powai, have claimed there has been a sequence of little fires in and around their homes for the past four nights. Although no lives have been lost and few belongings have been affected, the close calls have put the families on edge.

"For the past few nights, we've been woken up by the need to put out fires in or near our huts on the 90-feet road, which is on the inner side of the basti, that has no lights," said Shiv Sagar, one of the residents. "Someone or the other is always awake, so they alert the others to put out the fire using the water we have stored. Thankfully, the three huts that had caught fire were unoccupied. But on Friday m...