It was high drama at Elephant Gate early on Tuesday after a van driver climbed a cellphone tower and threatened to commit suicide by leaping from there.
The reason — the police had confiscated his vehicle after he was allegedly caught driving under the influence of alcohol.
The police said the incident took place around 5.30 a.m. on the NSC Bose Road-Wall Tax Road junction when the van driver Karthik (37), a native of Palghat, climbed the tower in protest of the police action against him.
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On Monday evening, Karthik went to Elephant Gate, driving his van with cargo to be dropped off at a parcel agency there. He parked his vehicle on VOC Salai and dozed off in the van after consuming alcohol, sources said. As it was a no-parking zone, a police sub-inspector on duty woke up Karthik and asked him to move the vehicle.
As he was drunk, the officer booked him for drunk driving, to which Karthik objected. Karthik was then taken to the Elephant Gate police station and was allegedly assaulted. He later told the police that he would pay the penalty and left the station for the parcel office.
Annoyed, he climbed the cellphone tower on the way and threatened to jump, claiming that the police action was unjust. Senior officers managed to bring him down after negotiations for over two hours.
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Karthik was booked for attempt to suicide and arrested, sources said.