Bengaluru man climbs mobile tower demanding missing wife’s return, creates ruckus for 2 hrs

Bengaluru: A construction worker created panic on Sunday evening by climbing a 150-foot mobile tower near Anekal, demanding that the police find his missing wife.

At 5 pm, Chiranjeevi, the worker, called the 112 emergency helpline, threatening to jump unless his wife Roja returned home. The police traced his location, and fire department officials rushed to the spot.

Chiranjeevi accused Harish, his landlord, of having an affair with Roja and demanded his presence. Though Harish denied the allegation, Chiranjeevi refused to climb down. Even as rain lashed the tower, Chiranjeevi stayed put, shivering and continuing to speak to the police over the phone.

For nearly two hours, the Attibele police inspector negotiated with him. Chiranjeevi finally agreed to descend after the inspector promised before his house god that Roja would be found. He got down around 7.30 pm.

The police said he was drunk during the incident. His suspicions began three days ago when he saw Roja in Harish’s car. He later assaulted her, after which she recorded a video and fled on August 30. A missing persons case has been registered.

"The family dispute turned into an emergency call, as the suspicious husband dialled 112 to bring back his missing wife, otherwise he would jump from the tower. It took two hours of convincing to make him come down from the top of the tower. This incident reminds us that anger may win the moment, but patience and dialogue save lives,” C K Baba, Bengaluru Rural SP, told DH.