Self-immolation bid by land grab victim

SALEM: A victim of land grab atrocity attempted self immolation in Salem Collectorate and caused a flutter.Rajammal (54), a widow of one Alagesan of Gandhinagar, who is a hawker attempted to set herself ablaze at the Collectorate during a public grievance day. She told the police later that a gang led by Vijayan, a DMK cadre, had intimidated her into selling her land of 1,200 ft at Chairman Ramalingam Street in Pattakovil for a paltry sum of `35,000.Rajammal alleged that the gang used the name of the former agriculture minister Veerapandi Arumugams and made her sign land deal papers. She said that the had gang threatened to kill her or face dire consequences if she complained to the police.