Hazaribag: A 30-year-old man climbed a 40-ft-high mobile tower in Chatra district on Monday and threatened to end his life unless construction on a disputed plot was stopped, prompting a prolonged rescue effort by police and administrative officials.Manoranjan Kumar Singh, a resident of Pachghara village in Mayurhand block, scaled the tower at Karma Chowk around 10:45 am. From the top, he demanded that a house allegedly being constructed on the disputed land be demolished and those involved arrested.Mayurhand police station officer in-charge Rahul Dubey rushed to the spot with a team, but Singh initially ignored appeals from police, officials and villagers to come down.His father, Sadhucharan Singh, claimed the family owned 36 kathas of ancestral land at Larahi village under Karma panchayat. “The 1.42-acre property had been in the family’s possession since 1939 and online rent receipts were still issued in its name,” he said.The family alleged that although the dispute was pending in court and prohibitory orders were in force, Larahi-Sewal resident Surendra Ravani continued building a house on the plot. The construction had reached the lintel stage.Family members said Manoranjan approached police on Saturday, but climbed the tower after work allegedly continued. Officials denied inaction. Circle officer Manish Kumar said police had been directed by Chatra SDO Jahur Alam to stop construction.After hours of persuasion by DSP Sunil Kumar Singh and other officials, Manoranjan climbed down safely. He warned that his protest would continue if the dispute remained unresolved.
