A woman, Akkammal, and a man R. Vallavan Mari of Kovilpappakudi created a flutter at the Collectorate on Monday when they attempted to commit self-immolation.
Police personnel present around the Pennycuick Hall, and a section of people who had come to hand over petitions to Collector Anshul Mishra, prevented them from setting themselves ablaze. The police whisked away the duo, who had doused their body with kerosene, in an auto rickshaw.
In a complaint addressed to the Collector, Akkammal and Mari said that they had plots in Dinamani Nagar and possessed deeds. Surveyor Jeyaraman and Village Administrative Officer Sekar had identified the boundaries of their plots, they claimed.
However, a real-estate promoter, Chellapandi, had removed the stone pillars erected by Akkammal and Mari. He had claimed that their plots formed the road for his layout.
The Surveyor and VAO claimed that the plot was indeed the road and that they had earlier given a wrong layout. The police did not entertain their complaint but warned them against entering their plots, the complainants said.
Subsequently, the Assistant Director of Survey, had concluded that the land belonged to Akkammal and Mari and there was no record to show that it was a public pathway, the memorandum claimed.
Despite the Tahsildar being directed to make a re-survey of the land, the officials, including the surveyor, were not complying and were supporting Chellapandi. They complained that they were being intimidated into pasting with their plots.
Keywords: Self-immolation bid, Madurai Collectorate
