Man scales cell phone tower to end life, rescued

Nagpur: A 42-year-old man caused a furore by climbing up a cell phone tower at Akashwani Square on Saturday late evening in a bid to end his life. Fire and police personnel brought him down after nearly a five-hour struggle.
Chief fire officer Rajendra Uchake, and senior police officials including commissioner of police BK Upadhyay had to intervene in the matter.
The man has been identified as Manoj. “A resident of Nagpur, he attempted suicide after failing to repay a loan. He was also murmuring about family dispute as one of the reasons,” said a police official.
“Though he did not jump, the man slit his wrist to commit suicide,” said the police and Civil Lines fire station officer Tushar Barahate.
Around 6.30pm, a passer-by alerted police control room about a man climbing up the cell phone tower. Soon the police and fire and rescue services personnel arrived at the scene with an ambulance and appealed to him to come down.
The fire department also deployed a turn table ladder on which three personnel including a cop climbed and started talking him out of the suicide bid. The fire department personnel on ground held a safety net to catch the man if he jumped from the tower.
A crowd gathered around the tower while the rescue operation was underway. The commotion affected vehicular traffic for nearly three hours. After joint commissioner of police Nilesh Bharne was informed, police regulated the crowd and cleared the traffic.
Senior police officers present at the spot told media that the man climbed down after he was assured that no police action will be taken against him. He also sought police intervention to settle his loan amount. The police later took him to hospital.