MALAPPURAM: In a shocking incident, a man attempted to set a panchayat office on fire after pouring petrol inside the premises. The incident took place at the Thuvvur panchayat office in Malappuram. The accused, identified as Vemmulli Majeed, a native of Karuvarakundu Tharish, created panic in the office after his application for a building permit was rejected. He also tried to attack the staff, but the employees and the locals nearby managed to overpower him.

According to the police, Majeed got provoked after the Panchayat denied permission for his commercial building in Mampuzha. He claimed that he had spent all his savings from working abroad on the construction and was left with no money, not even for the treatment of his visually impaired son.

Majeed had applied for the permit in February last year. However. Panchayat officials said there were errors in the construction. They also said that a notice was issued asking him to correct the deficiencies in the application, but no response was received.