About 20 persons, including women, on Monday caused a flutter at the  Coimbatore district collectorate when they doused themselves with keresone in a bid to self-immolate over a land issue but alert police foiled it by literally pouring water on them.

Around 50 persons gathered at the collectorate and staged a sit-in demanding action against a person whom they accused of cheating after promising to get them pattas for government land given to them some years ago near Karamadai on the city outskirts, police said.

All of a sudden some 20 persons, including 12 women and four children, doused themselves with kerosene, they were carrying in a few bottles, and threatened to commit self-immolation.

However, police personnel on duty at the spot overpowered them and asked Fire and Rescue Personnel to pump water on them.

Later, police allowed five persons to submit a representation to the concerned department officials.