COIMBATORE: After seven hours filled with tension and several attempts, Coimbatore district police and fire safety personnel managed to bring down a drunk man who climbed a mobile tower in Chettipalayam carrying his child on Sunday evening following a quarrel with his wife.
According to police, Selva alias Settu (35) climbed the 300-feet tower owned by BSNL around 5.45 pm, strapping his three-year-old daughter to his body with a lungi. He stood at a height of 100-ft and started making loud noises to attract attention. Locals alerted Chettipalayam police and Kinathukadavu fire service station. A team started rescue operation at 6 pm.
"The person climbed the tower after a dispute with his wife. He wanted district collectors of Coimbatore and Salem districts to settle his family dispute. Efforts taken to bring him down failed as he did not listen to us. We made his family, including his five-year-old son, speak to him. But all the efforts went in vain. At one point, he threatened to jump off the tower if we tried to reach him," a police officer said.
“Finally, we asked TANGEDCO officials to cut off the power supply in the area and soon the entire locality went dark. Using the situation, fire safety team climbed the tower. Meanwhile, Selva was overcome by fear and started to come down through the ladder attached to the tower. We caught him at 70 feet height and brought them down around 1.30 am, the officer added.
The child was taken to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for a check up and then handed over to her mother. Selva was booked under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act and the IPC section 309 (attempt to commit suicide).