THENI: A woman and her 25-year-old son today attempted self-immolation at the collectorate here alleging harassment by a money lender, a day after a couple set their two children and themselves ablaze in Tirunelveli over usury.
Saraswathi (48) and her son Jagadeesan of Rangarajapuram village doused themselves with kerosene, but security personnel present there acted swiftly and poured water on them to foil the self-immolation bid, the police said.
The incident came even as the police and the revenue departments began separate investigations into yesterday's tragedy.
A woman and her two young children died while her husband is in a critical condition after the couple set themselves and the kids on fire at the Tirunelveli collectorate complex over alleged harassment by a money-lender and the police.
The shocking incident brought to fore the issue of exorbitant rate of interest being charged by some private money lenders, despite the state having enacted a legislation in 2003 to check usury.
The authorities had, yesterday, announced the setting up of a separate centre to help those affected by usury and had also formed a special team to probe the allegations levelled by the family.
In the incident here, Saraswathi, a widow, claimed that she had borrowed Rs 50,000 from Pandian by mortgaging her property to meet education and medical expenses.
The woman also claimed that she had repaid Rs 1.32 lakh after her son joined a private firm as a driver.
She told reporters that when she asked Pandian to return her house's documents, he refused to give them back and told her she had to pay Rs 80,000 more.
The woman alleged that despite her lodging a police complaint, no action was taken against Pandian, and vexed over harassment by him, she came to meet the district collector and submit a representation.
Saraswathi alleged that she and her son decided to end their lives as they were allegedly kept waiting by the police for several hours at the collectorate.
The police said a search was on for Pandian and the case had been forwarded to the jurisdictional police at Mayiladumparai for further probe.
Meanwhile, Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police (SP) Arun Sakthi said that the police had been asked to gather evidence regarding the trauma suffered by Isakki Muthu and his family members, who committed self-immolation yesterday.
Subbulakshmi and her daughters, aged two and five years, succumbed to burns at a hospital where her 32-year-old husband Muthu is battling for life and his condition has been stated as "very critical condition".
The money lender, Dhalavai Raj, his wife Muthu Lakshmi and Dalavai Raj's father Kalimuthu were arrested while Sub- Inspector Murugan and Head Constable Kandhasamy Kumar, who had allegedly threatened the couple, were suspended, the police said.
Raj was today produced in a court and remanded to judicial custody till November 7, they said.
The SP said that a detailed inquiry had been ordered and the report would be submitted in a week's time.
He warned that severe action would be taken against police personnel ignoring complaints or showing indifference to the complainants.
The police official said the revenue department was also investigating the incident.
Muthu was asked to appear in connection with the investigation into the complaint against the money lender. But he did not do so, the SP said.
The relatives of Muthu, however, said as soon as the summon from the SP's office was received, he got more scared.
Local police officials allegedly threatened that he had no alternative except to pay the money as the SP office had issued the summon, they claimed.
Muthu had given six petitions and was vexed at being harassed by the local police because he had complained to the higher officials, the relatives said. PTI Corr/SSN VS ANB .
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.