Armyman protesting atop tower brought down after 94 hours

Ninety-four hours after he climbed a 200-feet high mobile tower alleging harassment by seniors, an armyman was today brought down by rescue workers as his health condition worsened.

K Muthu, who is attached with Engineers Regiment, climbed the tower at Ajmeri Gate near New Delhi Railway Station at around 1:00 pm last Friday and was brought down at 10:30 am after his health deteriorated.

He was very weak as he was not taking food for the past four days. Muthu has been admitted to Base hospital at Delhi Cantonment.

A senior Army official said Muthu is undergoing treatment and his condition is stable.
"It was raining heavily and he was very weak. He was not eating. We told him that we are bringing him down.

He could not use the ladder as he was very weak. We used a harness to bring him down," the official said.

The official said only after Muthu regains physical fitness, departmental action would be initiated. Already a fact finding committee has been set up to discuss his allegations, he said.

Muthu was adamant on not coming down in the past five days till he gets a chance to speak to Defence Minister A K Antony.

The 35-year-old sepoy, hailing from Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, alleged that he was transferred five times in five years.

Colleagues from his unit were taking turns to be with him atop the tower and trying to convince him but in vain.

On Friday, he had thrown a bunch of papers and in one of the letters, he demanded his discharge from service due to alleged harassment by seniors.

He had also requested the commanding officer in the letter to get his salary of the last eight months cleared.