Gorakhpur: A 15-year-old girl climbed atop a water tank in Mahadev Jharkhandi Colony on Sunday afternoon after allegedly being upset over a scolding from her mother, triggering a nearly three-hour rescue operation by police.The teenager, a resident of Awas Vikas Shivpur, climbed the tank around 1.30 pm and sat on its edge with her legs dangling, drawing the attention of passersby. Fearing that she might take an extreme step, residents alerted the AIIMS police station.Despite repeated pleas from locals and police personnel, the girl refused to come down. As the crowd swelled around the spot, officers continued trying to persuade her. As a precaution, mattresses were placed beneath the tank to minimise the risk of injury in case she fell.After nearly three hours of counselling and negotiations, woman sub-inspector Jagruti Kharwar adopted a different strategy. Pretending to continue the conversation, she climbed onto the tank and slowly gained the teenager’s confidence.Police said Kharwar assured the girl that her concerns would be heard and that her family would be counselled. Once she moved within reach, the officer caught hold of her hand and, with assistance from colleagues below, brought her safely down.SP City Nimish Patil said the girl later told police that her mother had reprimanded her for talking to a boy on the phone. Upset by the scolding, she climbed the water tank in anger.The teenager was taken to AIIMS Gorakhpur for medical examination and counselling. After treatment, she was handed over to her family and sent home later in the evening.
