ISLAMABAD, July 16: Five people, including three women, from the Dadu district of Sindh here on Monday attempted self-immolation in protest against alleged occupation of their land by a feudal back home, police said.

However, police personnel snatched the petrol and matchboxes before they could set themselves on fire in front of the National Press Club.

The police put out the flames from the bodies of two of the protesters as they had already showed match to their petrol-soaked clothes.

A brief scuffle took place between the police and the five persons and, according to the police, one of the victims sustained injuries after hitting his head with a stone in anger.

The police shifted them to hospital for medical assistance and later took the two men to the Kohsar police station. The three women were taken to the woman police station.

A case was registered against them on the charge of attempt to murder and the two men were put behind bars. They will be produced before the court of law on Tuesday (today) from where they would either be sent on judicial remand or released on bail, the police said, adding the fate of the women was yet to be decided.

The police said about one month back, one of the victims had made similar attempt but it was also foiled by the policemen.

The five persons had been staging protest in front of the press club for the last seven months against alleged occupation of their seven-acre land in the village of Chandio seven years back.

The land owner, Malook Pasand, had also got a case registered against the land grabber but the police did not take action against him.

The five persons were identified as Malook, 28; Altaf Gulzar, 26; Farwa Pasand, 35; Pari Pasand, 18, and Perveen Imam, 17.