A young man named Somashekhar climbed a high-tension electric pole in Chinnayyanapalya village, Anekal, on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Wednesday, 20 May, reportedly after his girlfriend of three years refused to marry him and sought to end the relationship. The incident triggered a large-scale police and fire rescue operation, prompting authorities to cut power supply to the pole as a precautionary measure.

How the Situation Unfolded

According to local sources, Somashekhar had been in a relationship with a young woman for approximately three years. When she reportedly declined to marry him and began distancing herself, he allegedly went to her residence and damaged roofing sheets before climbing a nearby high-tension electric pole.

Eyewitnesses at the scene said the youth refused to descend and insisted he would come down only if the woman came to the spot in person. A large crowd of villagers gathered as the standoff continued.

Police and Rescue Response

Anekal police rushed to the location upon receiving information and made repeated appeals to convince Somashekhar to climb down safely. A fire and rescue team was also deployed to assist. Given the risk posed by high-voltage current, authorities disconnected the power supply to the pole as a safety measure. Rescue efforts were ongoing at the time of reporting.

A Troubling Pattern in the Region

This incident comes amid a broader concern about extreme distress responses to matrimonial and relationship setbacks in Karnataka. Notably, on 19 March 2025, 27-year-old Masana Shetty of Madhuvanahalli in Kollegal taluk died by electrocution after grabbing a high-tension electric line, reportedly dejected over his inability to secure a marriage alliance. His mother and fellow villagers witnessed the incident.

According to reports, Shetty had previously struggled with alcohol dependency. Heeding his mother's advice, he had reportedly quit drinking for several months in the hope of finding a suitable match. However, his family's limited financial standing — he owned a small house but no land — made prospective families reluctant to pursue the alliance. He had reportedly slipped into depression over his circumstances before the fatal incident.

Mental Health and Matrimonial Pressure

Both cases highlight the acute psychological distress that matrimonial rejection and relationship breakdown can trigger, particularly among young men in semi-urban and rural Karnataka. Mental health experts and crisis intervention advocates have long flagged the absence of adequate community-level support systems in such areas. The Anekal incident underscores the urgent need for accessible counselling resources and timely crisis response infrastructure.

As rescue teams continued efforts to safely bring Somashekhar down, authorities urged the public to maintain distance from the site. The outcome of the rescue operation was not confirmed at the time of filing this report.