KOLKATA: A young Frenchman's obsession with Karisma Kapoor scaled new heights when he climbed a tree and stayed put for over two hours, demanding that the actress be called to the spot.

Vernaier Tass (21) climbed a banyan tree in the Sudder Street locality — popular with backpacking foreigners — on Friday night. Around 11 pm, residents noticed him and urged him to come down. Tass, however, ignored them.

Fearing the man would hurt himself if he fell, the residents called police at 11.45 pm. Some of the cops tried to reach him on a ladder. Tass, however, climbed out of their reach. "I will come down only if you get Karisma here," he shouted back in accented English.

Helpless, the policemen turned to the fire brigade. After a brief struggle, the firemen managed to lasso Tass and lower him to the ground.

During questioning, the youth identified himself and said he had a French father and a Slovak mother, and claimed to possess both French and Slovak passports. He, however, said he lost the Slovak passport and a wallet when he landed here three days ago. The Indian visa was apparently stamped on the lost passport.

Tass further claimed to be a student of classical music at Banaras Hindu University. He complained that the firemen had manhandled him and threatened to move the rights panel.

Pennyless and without a passport, Tass said he decided to spend the night on top of the banyan tree because he could not check into a hotel. "It is safe and comfortable. I also get a bird's-eye view of the area," he said.

The police put Tass up at the Salvation Army guesthouse and contacted the French embassy.

But by Saturday morning, Tass had disappeared. The police are now scratching their heads, wondering where he might be. They are afraid he might climb another tree, only a month after one Shantha Singh from Shibpur scaled a tree at Botanical Gardens.