Lifer climbs electric tower, threatens to kill self

Hyderabad: A prisoner, who was remanded to Cherlapally Open Air Jail, on Monday gave some tense moments to jail officials for nearly three hours by climbing a high-tension power transmission tower and threatening to kill self.

The prisoner Khaja Pasha (40), who is serving fifth year of life sentence at the Central Prison, was convicted for the murder of his wife in 2012. He has climbed a tower at around 9 am, stating he was falsely implicated in the case by the then Shankarpally Station House Officer. He demanded to take action against the officer, while he was on the tower.

Subsequent to the lower court’s verdict, he has challenged the verdict in the High Court, which endorsed the trial court’s punishment, in the last week. He was expecting that the court would acquit him, but the same punishment was again pronounced to the convict. Displeased with the court’s verdict, he climbed the tower and threatened to take his life. However, the police were successful in persuading Pasha. Pasha was assigned duties at the petrol bunk which was being run by Telangana Prisons Department, considering his good behaviour, the jail officials said.

“We somehow managed to get him down. He was traumatised with the recent High Court’s verdict. We will counsel him with the help of a psychiatrist,” said B Saidaiah, DIG, Prisons and Correctional Services. When asked about what sort of care they would extend to the prisoner as he has suicidal tendency, the DIG replied that he would be under vigil till he becomes normal. Meanwhile, the Cherlapally Central Prison Superintendent MR Bhaskar has lodged a complaint with Kushaiguda police station.