Villagers in Hardauli, Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, allegedly tied a telecom technician to a mobile tower after becoming frustrated with poor mobile connectivity and unreliable 5G service in the area.
The unusual incident took place on Thursday and was captured in a video that later circulated widely on social media.
Two Years of Network Problems
According to police and local residents, the village had been experiencing mobile network problems for nearly two years, despite a private telecom tower being installed in the area.
Villagers claimed that the network frequently disappeared even when electricity was available. They also complained that they were paying for 5G services but were often receiving only unstable 4G connectivity, making both phone calls and mobile internet difficult to use.
Residents said repeated complaints had not resulted in a lasting solution.
Technician Was Tied to the Tower
The technician was identified by several reports as Aditya Bhan Singh. He had reportedly arrived at the tower to inspect or work on the network when a group of villagers confronted him.
The residents allegedly restrained Singh and tied him to a pole inside the tower premises. A video showed him surrounded by villagers, with some residents demanding that senior officials from the telecom company come to the village and resolve the connectivity problem.
According to reports, the villagers said they would not release the technician until company officials addressed their complaints.
The technician was eventually released before police arrived at the location.
Police Register Case
The incident came to police attention after the video surfaced online. Fatehpur Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said an investigation was launched after the technician complained about being held hostage.
Police subsequently arrested several people allegedly connected with the incident.
Reports differ slightly on the number initially detained, but police later identified six people who were arrested in connection with the case. They were subsequently produced before a magistrate and released on bail, with the investigation continuing.
Frustration Over Rural Connectivity
The incident has highlighted continuing frustrations over mobile connectivity in some rural areas, where the presence of a telecom tower does not necessarily guarantee consistent network coverage.
Villagers’ complaints centred on the gap between the 5G services they said they were paying for and the connectivity they were actually receiving.
However, police action is focused on the alleged wrongful confinement of the technician, regardless of the underlying network dispute.
Summary
Villagers in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly tied a telecom technician to a mobile tower after complaining about poor 5G and unstable 4G connectivity for nearly two years. The technician was later released, while police arrested six people allegedly involved in the incident. The investigation into the reported wrongful confinement is ongoing.
