PRAYAGRAJ, May 21 -- Alleging harassment and extortion by a senior power sub-station official, a 22-year-old contract worker on Wednesday climbed a high-voltage transmission tower in Prayagraj's Manda area.

The worker stayed on the tower for nearly four hours under the scorching sun before coming down following assurances from senior officials.

The contract worker, Dharmaraj Bind, a resident of Uldapur village in Unchadih, Meja area, is employed at the 400/132 KV sub-station in Masauli, Manda. He climbed the tower around 10:30am to protest against the alleged exploitation of 12 contract workers by the senior official posted at the sub-station.

Upon being alerted, inspector Shailendra Singh from Manda police station reached the site and...