A couple in India's Bengaluru city was saved in the nick of time by alert police and firemen after they threatened to immolate themselves if their home was demolished during the civic body's drive to remove alleged illegal structures.
In dramatic visuals doing the rounds on social media, a man and woman can be seen pouring petrol on themselves. Just as the couple was about to light a matchstick some policemen and neighbors interrupt and sprinkle water on them before pulling the two away from the rooftop of their house.
While the couple claimed they had the required documents to prove that their house wasn't built on illegal land, the local authorities said otherwise: as per the civic agency, the couple's home is built on a storm drain, and hence it was an illegal structure and had to be demolished.
The BBMP has launched a massive anti-encroachment drive in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka state, after offices of several multinational companies and posh areas of the city were flooded in last month's devastating floods.