Tamil Nadu Deepam Row Escalates: Man Immolates Self In Tamil Nadu
A 40-year-old man died after setting himself on fire in Madurai this evening in an incident the police suspect is suicide linked to the ongoing controversy over the lighting of a deepam on a pillar at the Thiruparankundram hilltop. The man has been identified as Poornachandran, an MBA graduate from Narimedu, Madurai. He worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative and operated a small delivery van selling fruits. The police said he drove his vehicle and parked it opposite a statue of rationalist Dravidian icon Periyar, near the Madurai Corporation office, before entering a nearby police outpost. Investigators said Poornachandran locked himself inside the police booth around 3.30 pm, and immolated himself. Locals, noticing flames and hearing screams, alerted the fire services.
