An official vehicle of a tahsildar at the taluk office in Walajah town in Ranipet was set on fire in the early hours of Saturday.

The police said that it was around 1 a.m when security personnel in the taluk office noticed fire in the SUV that was parked at the main entrance of the office. They alerted Walajah police and firefighters in Ranipet town.

Before firefighters from Ranipet doused the fire, the vehicle was gutted. The police removed the charred vehicle from the spot. A case was registered.

The police analysed CCTV camera footage in the taluk office that showed a masked person set fire to the vehicle inside the premises before he fled the spot. According to the police, the video shows the person has his face draped in a sari. The police also analysed other CCTV camera footage on the route to nab the suspect. A probe is under way.