Man climbs mobile tower, threatens suicide

KOCHI: Dramatic scenes unfolded at the MLA-pady junction along the Aluva-Perumbavur road on Monday when a person perched on top of a mobile tower, threatening to commit suicide if his demand to remove the structure was not met. According to police, Mani, a native of Vazhakkulam climbed the 70-ft mobile tower amid a protest against the structure that came up at a 55-cent property owned by a private individual.

It took over an hour for the authorities to persuade Mani to climb down, who was later admitted to a hospital. “We received a phone call around 12 noon alerting about a person standing on top of a mobile tower. As we reached the spot, we could see a huge crowd gathered around the tower, protesting the alleged overnight installation of the structure ‘’, said P AFaisal, Sub Inspector, Aluva.

The crisis deepened further as Mani refused to come down despite repeated requests by the authorities.  “He was in no mood to listen to anything we said and hence we made the mob to tell him that they were with him and that the authorities have agreed to his demand. He agreed and came down’’, the official added. According to police, the property in which the tower came up was owned by the Keezhmadu Panchayat.

“The panchayat has now issued a direction to remove the structure from the location’’, officials said. Soon after getting down, Mani fell unconscious and was shifted to a nearby hospital. However, no case was registered.