Chennai youth thrashed for scaling mobile tower

Chennai: In a high-drama, a 27-year-old youth, sacked from a telco, scaled a mobile phone tower and was brought down with a sound thrashing by locals in Saidapet, on Monday.  His demand was reinstatement along with sacked 300 employees.

The three-hour ordeal culminated with a team of locals from the neighbourhood climbing the tower after the youth refused to pay heed to police and Tamil Nadu Fire & Rescue Services (TNFRS) personnel.

The team restrained the movement of the youth and thrashed him as and when he attempted to wriggle out of their clutches. Meanwhile, the TNFRS personnel who climbed the tower rescued and lowered the youth to safety.

Identified as Jayapal, (27), the engineering graduate and a native of Tiruchy had moved to the city September last and was working in a telco for a monthly wage of Rs 8,500.

The company operating from an IT park in the city reportedly sacked about 300 staff without paying their salaries last month.

Jayapal chose the tower, which was put up over a three-storey building. He had easy access to the tower since the building on which the tower was installed is under renovation.

“We have recovered a suicide note, which the youth had written. The note addressed to the President and Prime Minister aired grievances that the sacked lot faced while in employment in the company. He had also elaborated in detail about the pay anomalies within the company and the threats the employees had to face when they asked for their salary”, said a senior police officer.

Jayapal was whisked away from the spot to Saidapet police station. Cops said that they would not be booking the youth for his suicide attempt and would be forwarding his request to the appropriate forum for consideration.