Chennai: High drama prevailed after two elderly women immolated themselves on Tuesday night at their residence in Elephant gate over a property dispute with their family member, a secretariat employee.
Police sources said that the secretariat staffer, Sudarshanam, was aided by a woman sub-inspector, Komalavalli, attached to the secretariat colony police station and her role is also being probed.
The women, Sasikala (52) and her aunt, Navaneetham (65), live at the ancestral property near Walltax road at Elephant gate. The 1,500 sq ft property belonged to Pachayappan who had three daughters and two sons. After his death, a dispute broke out over the ownership of property among siblings and a civil case is pending in the court, police sources said.
On Tuesday night, Sasikala’s brother Sudarshanam along with his wife, Shanti, her friend, and a local politician, descended on the house and picked up an argument with his sister Sasikala and Navaneetham. The woman sub-inspector is a relative of Shanti, police sources said. The quintet broke open the lock and was trying to gain entry into Sasikala’s house, threatening them.
Alarmed, the elderly women set themselves on fire. Sudarshanam and those who came with him fled the scene following the incident. Neighbours rushed to the rescue of the elderly women and moved them to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.
Sasikala and Navaneetham suffered 41 per cent and 47 per cent burns respectively, police said. Based on investigations from neighbours and relatives of the injured, Elephant gate police registered a case and arrested Sudarshanam, his wife, Shanti, her friend, Priya and Joseph, a functionary of MDMK. The probe is underway on the alleged role of the woman sub-inspector, officials said.
