Keonjhar/Patana: A 29-year-old man in Keonjhar district scaled a high-voltage power transmission tower Thursday in a dramatic attempt to speak with his girlfriend. The incident brought to onlookers’ mind scenes from the 1975 Bollywood blockbluster Sholay.
The incident took place near Judia under the Town police limits in Keonjhar district, drawing a large crowd and prompting an hours-long rescue operation. The youth was identified as Dashmant Mahakud, 29, of Kamarmora village under the Patana police limits. He finally came down after having a talk with his girlfriend. According to police, Mahakud has been in a relationship for three years with a woman from an area under the Nayakote police limits. Her parents reportedly disapproved of their relationship and prevented the two from communicating. Around 6am Thursday, Mahakud climbed the tower to pressure the woman’s parents. He threatened to end his life if he was not allowed to speak with her.
On being informed, local residents thronged the spot and alerted police, who arrived with the fire services personnel. A safety net was set up as rescuers tried to persuade him to come down. After several hours of negotiation, Mahakud finally spoke to his girlfriend and her family over the phone around 9:30 am. He later climbed down with assistance from fire personnel. Police detained him for questioning and later handed him over to his father after he arrived, officials said.