Rajouri/Jammu, Feb 19: A 40-year-old man in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district climbed a mobile tower on Wednesday, threatening to end his life, officials reported.
The incident in Thanamandi town, about 25 km from Rajouri headquarters, triggered a six-hour-long rescue operation by police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
The man, identified as Javaid Kohli, a local shopkeeper with multiple cases against him, including drug-related offenses, climbed the tower at 9 am and streamed live on social media.
Authorities, including civil and police officials, rushed to the scene to convince him to come down, but he ignored their repeated appeals as well as pleas from his family and children. This led officials to involve SDRF, fire services, and health personnel.
Kohli alleged police harassment and demanded an assurance from a senior official before descending. After hours of negotiation, including using a public address system to assure him that his concerns would be addressed, he was finally rescued at around 3:15 pm, officials confirmed.
