In a bizarre incident on Diwali night, a man climbed an electricity pole carrying live wires near the local girls’ school and stood there for nearly nine hours before being rescued by the police and electricity officials at around 6.30 am.

The incident, which took place at around 9 pm, triggered panic among residents of the area, who remained apprehensive about the man’s safety throughout the night.

Ward councillor Amandeep Singh Taneja said he received information that the man, a resident of Balibeg Basti, had climbed the electricity pole. He alerted the police by calling the emergency helpline 112. A police team rushed to the spot and initiated efforts to bring him down safely.

Cop Vijay Kumar, deployed with the 112 helpline, said the police coordinated with electricity officials and got the power supply disconnected before launching the rescue operation. After considerable efforts, the man was safely brought down at around 6.30 am.

When questioned about his actions, the man reportedly told the police that some people had chased him during the night, prompting him to climb the pole out of fear. He also claimed to have touched the electricity wires but escaped unhurt.

Eyewitnesses suspected that the man was under the influence of intoxicants. Vijay Kumar said the police would take him to the police station for a dope test and complete the necessary formalities before handing him over to his family.