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Little spiderboy?s big controversy?

A six-year-old Indian 'spiderboy' Jaya Kapilan created history-and some fresh controversy-when he drove a car for 20 km and climbed a 330-foot telecom tower in full glare of local media and VIPs.

Published on: Aug 10, 2006, 11:53:00 IST
None | By , Dharmapur (Tamil Nadu)
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A six-year-old Indian 'spiderboy' Jaya Kapilan created history-and some fresh controversy-when he drove a car for 20 km and climbed a 330-foot telecom tower in full glare of local media and VIPs here on the weekend.

Kapilan performed the feat with bare hands, and without protective gear. It took him just a little over eight minutes to reach the top. He stayed there for three minutes and took another eight minutes to climb down, smiling to the spectators.

Before climbing the tower, Kapilan drove a car carrying press reporters and VIPs to the tower located on the Dharmapuri-Melpurikal route, a good 20 km from here. However, not all could applaud his towering act.

Some district officials expressed anxiety on the boy climbing the tower without protection or medical and fire service teams in attendance. It is equally questionable to allow a six-year-old boy to drive a car when he can’t even apply for a driving license.

Kapilan’s feat sharply brought into focus the recent story of four-year-old Budhia Singh of Orissa, who ran 40 miles in seven hours to get into the Record books.

Budhia’s quest ended when some well-meaning officials stopped him fearing that he could suffer irreparable health damage. But Kapilan seems undeterred and is determined to shatter more records.

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