Patiala: Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, the ex-serviceman and farmer who had spent 560-plus days atop a BSNL telecom tower in Punjab’s Samana, was brought down Friday morning in a swift coordinated operation that lasted just 10 minutes.
Khalsa had climbed the tower as part of a protest demanding stricter laws against sacrilege in Punjab. His prolonged sit-in had drawn sustained attention, eventually coinciding with the Punjab government passing an amendment to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008—one of the central demands linked to the protest.
The operation began in the early hours with teams from the Punjab fire services, police, and the civil administration working in tandem. A day earlier, Army personnel had conducted a dry run to assess the logistics, but they were not present at the site during the final operation.
The 43-year-old had been staying atop the nearly 400-ft tower since 12 October, 2024.
The first phase initially began with him descending on his own. He climbed down manually to a height of around 200 ft, with trained fire brigade personnel positioned both above and below him to guide and secure the movement.
Within minutes, Khalsa reached the point where a turntable ladder had been positioned. He was then shifted on to the platform at approximately 200 ft.
At the base of the tower, a large crowd had gathered since early morning, with chants of ‘Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ filling the area as the operation unfolded. Police, along with other deployed personnel, managed the crowd while maintaining a clear perimeter for the descent.
Officials present at the site said the operation proceeded without any complications.
As he reached the ground, Khalsa was first greeted by his family members, who had been waiting at the site. He was then immediately escorted into an ambulance, where medical teams checked his vitals, including oxygen levels and blood pressure, after his prolonged stay at such a height.
“I am thankful to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Samana Sub-Divisional Magistrate Richa Goel, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, and all the officials of the Patiala administration. They supported me throughout. I am doing fine and in good health… Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,” Khalsa said in his first remarks after the descent.
(Edited by Tony Rai)