In a scene reminiscent of a Bollywood film, a 29-year-old man climbed a high-tension electricity pole in Sundargarh district on Sunday night and threatened to end his life unless the woman of his dreams married him. The incident unfolded at Budakata under Kutra police station limits, keeping locals on edge for nearly four hours. The man climbed down around 2 am on Monday after the woman, a widow and mother of two, reached the spot and agreed to marry him.
Details of the Incident
Police identified the man as Suraj Khalko, a mason from Natki village. Estranged from his wife for the past three years, Suraj lives with his two sons aged 7 and 5. He had met Madhuri Bud, 24, a widow from Lakdaghara village, about three months back. Madhuri, who has two daughters aged 7 and 4, works as a labourer in a factory in the Kutra area.
Sources said Suraj had recently proposed marriage, but Madhuri asked him to first build a proper house. Upset with this condition, Suraj climbed a nearly 40-foot-high electric pole around 10 pm on Sunday, threatening to jump if Madhuri did not come and agree to marry him. As panic spread, villagers alerted police and fire services. Police along with firefighters reached the spot and tried to persuade him to climb down. Meanwhile, power supply was disconnected to avert any mishap.
Resolution and Aftermath
With Suraj refusing to relent, police contacted Madhuri and brought her to the spot. She appealed to him to come down and eventually agreed to marry him, following which Suraj climbed down. On Monday, family members of Suraj and Madhuri met at Kutra police station and agreed to the marriage. “Both families have consented to the marriage,” said S Biswal, sub-inspector at Kutra police station. Suraj was let off with a warning.
