The police present at the venue acted swiftly and prevented them from setting themselves on fire, a police release said. (Photo: Representational/File)

Sivakasi/Chennai: Two women attempted self-immolation at a government function attended by Chief Minister K Palaniswami at Sivakasi, which police dubbed a "drama",
alleging that they did it to help a kin evade arrest in a pending criminal case.

According to the police, the women attempted to set themselves ablaze after the chief minister left the venue at the end of the function.

Parvathy and her daughter-in-law, Kanagalakshmi, present at the MGR Centenary function at Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district, proceeded to the press gallery and doused themselves with kerosene.

The police present at the venue acted swiftly and prevented them from setting themselves on fire, a police release said.

Parvathy's son, Muniyasamy, was absconding after being named in a case of robbery during which he allegedly hurt a woman while robbing her gold chain, even as two others involved in the crime, including a sacked policeman, have already been arrested, it said.

"Even as the police were searching for Muniyasamy, his mother and wife (Kanagalakshmi) staged the suicide bid drama to help him evade arrest," it said.

There were other cases pending against Muniyasamy, including attempt to murder, it said.

The incident, which caused a flutter, came on a day when a woman and her two children, died after she and her husband attempted self-immolation at the Tiruneveli district collectorate to protest against alleged inaction on their complaint against an usurer.