Youths suicide threat keeps police on tenterhooks

Keeping police and fire men on tenterhooks for hours, six youths today threatened to jump to their death in front of the state secretariate here protesting 'denial' of appointment in reserve police force despite their names figuring in the rank list six years ago.
They gave up their threat after the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, police said.
While a youth climbed atop a huge tree in front of the secretariate, five others went up a five-storey building threatening to jump if their demand for getting their appointment letters was not met by the government.
The youths said they had been denied appointments even six years after the rank-list for the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) Thunderbolt was published.

The rank list, published by the state Public Service Commission, was due to expire soon.
After the intervention of Vijayan and other top officials of the Home Department, the person, atop the tree, came down.

Fire department personnel were present in large number with a cushion platform below the tree to meet any eventuality.
The authorities assured the agitating youths that necessary steps would be taken to solve the issue.
However, not satisfied with the government's response, the five youth, who were on top of the building, said they would continue their protest at the roof top itself.
The rank-holders had been on an agitation path for some time and conducting a hunger strike in front of the secretariate for the past few days.