A 27-year-old man from Tamil Nadu's Ambur set himself on fire allegedly after the police seized his motorbike for violating the lockdown rules.

Mugilan, who is a resident of Anna Nagar in Ambur, was caught roaming around on his motorbike on Sunday even as the lockdown imposed by the state government restricts people from travelling in and around the state on Sundays without an authentic permit until July 31. Mugilan was stopped by the police at the OAR theatre checkpoint, where they seized his bike as he apparently did not provide a proper explanation as to what he was doing loitering around outside on his bike. They also registered a case against him under section 269 and 188 of the IPC, section 2 and 3 of Epidemic Disease Act and 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act.

The police did not return the man's bike despite his pleas. An infuriated Mugilan brought a can of kerosene from his house and set himself ablaze a few metres away from the police checkpost. In a disturbing video that went viral on social media, a half burnt Mugilan is heard saying, "Police are responsible for this... I am going to die soon." He was rushed to the Vellore CMC hospital for treatment by the police, and he sustained 80 percent burns.

An investigating official reportedly told TNM, "We have withdrawn the services of the five policemen who were on duty at that time from Ambur town police station and they have been shifted to Tirupattur town police station so as to ensure free and fair inquiry into the issue. I have recommended a DSP from the district headquarters to probe the incident. An FIR has also been registered against the five policemen."