Man does a ‘Sholay’ atop electric tower

In a high-voltage drama, a 32-year-old man on Friday climbed up an electric tower and threatened to commit suicide if he did not get justice.

In a high-voltage drama, a 32-year-old man on Friday climbed up an electric tower and threatened to commit suicide if he did not get justice.

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Mohammad Asim Shaikh, a resident of Indira Nagar, climbed atop the tower in Turbhe around 8am. He then put up a banner saying: “I want justice from the police. I want my debtors arrested and put behind bars. I want to meet the city police commissioner.”

The drama ended five hours later after assurances from the cops and fire brigade that he would get ‘insaaf’ and the people concerned would be punished. Shaikh was, however, arrested as soon as he was brought down with the help of a Bronto sky lift.

Shaikh claims that he is a scriptwriter and has worked for several Bollywood movies.

“According to Shaikh, he was recently beaten up by the people he had lent money to. He went to the APMC police, but they reportedly refused to register his complaint,” said Dilip Jagtap, assistant commissioner of police, zone 2. “Shaikh got angry and climbed atop a high-voltage electric tower on Friday morning. He demanded that his assaulters be put behind or he would jump.”

To ensure that he had maximum attention, Shaikh had called media houses on Thursday night informing them that he intended to harm himself.

The police, however, are far from amused and call the incident a publicity stunt. "This is just a waste of resources. The media should not have covered the event at all,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

“Shaikh just wanted media coverage. If he wanted to do something, he would have done it. If he was really going to jump, he would have done so before the police rescued him."