Woman's 8-Hour Protest on Tower Over Husband's Alleged Bigamy Ends Safely

Ludhiana: A 26-year-old woman staged a dramatic protest on Wednesday by climbing a 67-meter mobile phone tower in Bagga Kalan village, demanding action against her husband for allegedly bringing another woman into their home. The standoff lasted eight hours before police convinced her to climb down safely.

The woman, identified as Gamgam Devi, is a mother of four and has been married to 27-year-old labourer Paltu Mandal for six years. She alleged that Mandal had brought another married woman, named Sonali, into their shared residence a year ago without her consent. Devi accused her husband of bigamy and claimed he routinely assaulted her when she objected to the arrangement.

The situation escalated on Wednesday morning after an alleged physical assault by Mandal, prompting Devi to climb the 220-foot structure at 7 a.m. The protest ended at 2:30 p.m. when Ladhowal police, led by assistant sub-inspector Major Singh, persuaded her to come down.

According to ASI Singh, an initial investigation found no legal or religious evidence of a second marriage. "It appears Mandal brought the woman home to live with him without formalising a marriage," he said.

Police stated they would file a first-information report (FIR) regarding the alleged assault once Devi provides a formal statement. In the meantime, preventive legal action is being initiated against both Mandal and the other woman.