Chennai: On the occasion of Independence Day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Thursday presented special bravery award to an elderly couple from Tirunelveli district, who recently fought armed robbers with plastic chairs and slippers.

The couple P. Shanmugavelu and his wife Senthamarai were awarded Rs 2 lakh in cash and gold medals for their exemplary act of bravery in chasing away two robbers who had attacked them with machetes at their home. Their act of bravery was recorded in a CCTV camera.