Keonjhar: A 32-year-old fire services employee allegedly climbed onto the rooftop of his three-storey office building at Anandapur in Keonjhar district on Saturday and threatened to jump, accusing a senior officer of harassment. Colleagues and other staff intervened and persuaded Hemananda Dehury to come down safely.Dehury of Ghasipura Fire Station alleged that he had been subjected to repeated mental pressure and harassment by his fire officer and that his complaints about the work environment had gone unaddressed.The station’s fire officer S Hembram rejected the allegations and claimed Dehury resorted to the act after being asked to explain his conduct.According to Dehury, he had availed one day’s leave and was unable to return on time due to sudden illness, though he informed the office about the delay. “When I reached the station on Friday night, the fire officer neither responded to my calls nor allowed me to join duty. During roll call on Saturday morning, he again refused to accept my joining and asked me to leave. It hurt me. I lost my mental balance and informed the higher authorities before taking the extreme step,” Dehury said.Fire station personnel soon rushed to the spot to persuade him to come down. They also held a safety net on the ground as a precaution in case he jumped. After prolonged counselling, Dehury eventually climbed down.Fire officer S Hembram said Dehury was mentally sound. “He tried to blackmail me when asked to report for disobedience. Instead of joining duty on time, he misbehaved and failed to attend roll call as per govt rules. He arrived late and made threats. When I reported the matter to the higher authorities, he climbed onto the building around 10 am and threatened to jump,” the officer told media.Hembram said he had informed the higher authorities about the incident.