J&K cop climbs tree, threatens suicide over salary; MLA rescues
What's the story
A special police officer (SPO) from Jammu and Kashmir threatened to take his life in Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie on Monday.
The officer, identified as 48-year-old Shyam Lal, climbed a 15-meter-high tree near Banikhet and threatened to commit suicide over a drastic salary cut.
Lal claimed his monthly pay was slashed from ₹18,000 to just ₹4,000 after the COVID-19 pandemic.
He warned that if anyone tried to climb the tree, he would hang himself with a rope.
Rescue operation
Local authorities and MLA respond to distress call
The village chief was alerted by locals, who then contacted the police.
A team of police officers and firefighters arrived at the scene, setting up nets and a ladder in their rescue efforts.
The situation was defused only after Rameshwar Singh, an MLA from Bani in Kathua district of J&K, was called in.
Lal had been on the tree for nearly five hours.
Financial plea
MLA's intervention and officer's financial struggles
Singh reached the spot by 9:20pm despite the 68km distance between Bani and Banikhet.
Upon hearing Lal's plight, Singh said, "He told me that he worked through the most difficult period. His child is in Chandigarh, and he had taken loans, but his salary was just ₹4,000 after COVID."
Singh, however, said Shyam Lal's action was not right.
"The decision regarding salary revision lies with the Centre since Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory," he added.
Officer's status
Officer's status and future discussions planned
DIG Kathua Shiv Kumar clarified that Lal was not an SPO and had been disengaged years ago.
But many local officers, moved by Lal's situation, said they would take it up with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
No case was registered against him after the incident. After a medical test, Lal was allowed to leave with Singh.
Local authorities ruled out intoxication as a reason for his actions before letting him return to J&K.