GADAG : A bizarre incident unfolded in Gadag on Monday when a man climbed a coconut tree and remained perched there for nearly four hours after locals mistook him for a thief.
Around 4 am, Basavaraj Sollapur, from Belagavi, arrived at Vivekananda Nagar by train and knocked on a door, believing it to be his friend’s house he was looking for. Realising his mistake, he began walking away. However, the residents, suspicious of his actions, alerted the police.
When the police arrived, Basavaraj, fearing he would be caught, climbed a nearby coconut tree. Police and residents searched the area for several hours before someone spotted him sitting atop the tree. Despite repeated appeals from the police and onlookers, Basavaraj refused to come down, claiming he didn’t know how he had climbed up in the first place.
A crowd of 50 to 60 people gathered at the spot, believing him to be a thief. The situation remained tense until firefighters arrived with a ladder and managed to bring him down safely after convincing him that he would not be harmed.