Police personnel on security duty intervened and prevented the attempt before any injuries were caused. The man, Ezhilan, a native of Villupuram district has been living in Chennai for work. According to police, he had planned to construct a house in his native village and was seeking a bank loan for the project.

An acquaintance, Anand Babu had approached Ezhilan and claimed that he could arrange a housing loan at a low interest rate. Trusting him, Ezhilan paid Rs. 7 lakh as commission. However, the loan was not arranged, and Ezhilan's attempts to recover the money were unsuccessful after which he filed a complaint with the Kandamangalam Police Station in Villupuram district.

Irate over the delay in action on his complaint, Ezhilan went to the Secretariat and attempted to set himself on fire after pouring petrol over his body. Security personnel stationed at the location immediately intervened, prevented him from igniting the fuel and doused him with water.