A 40-year-old amputee was last Sunday beaten by a watermelon seller for setting fire on the grass and trees planted at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange for beautification purposes.

The fight which lasted for about three minutes attracted some passers-by who attempted and failed to separate them.

Hawkers selling around the interchange have been accused of burning the grass for the past week but none of them has claimed responsibility.

A fire was set at a location close to the Villagio Estate recently which burnt the trees and grass planted by city authority.

According to the watermelon seller [Ama Sarpong], they have been on alert when they saw a cloud of thick smoke coming from near the footbridge so they went to the scene.

They surprisedly only met Baba Iddris, a beggar at the interchange, who was busily setting more fire.

Ms Sarpong told Joy News that her plea to stop Baba got him angry and he started insulting her with threats.

She said she is concerned that “we are in the harmattan season which is not safe for indiscriminate bush burning especially at the interchange where hundreds of vehicles stuck in traffic during the rush hours.”

“The place was bushy and authorities are not coming to weed it...I, therefore, decided to burn it to drive away snakes and other reptiles,” Mr Iddris said in his defence.

In the process, there was a heated exchange of insults which generated into a fierce fight, which attracted passers-by.