Villagers in Uttar Pradesh tie mobile‑tower technician to tower over poor network
In Fatehpur district, residents of Hardauli village detained a telecom technician for two hours, protesting weak mobile connectivity that has persisted for about two years. Multiple Indian outlets report the same incident without noting any official response.
First reported 4 days ago · latest update 2 days ago
In a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur, poor mobile connectivity allegedly left residents so angry on Thursday that they took a telecom technician hostage — tying him to the company’s internet tower. Police said the technician, Aditya Bhan Singh, was working on the tower in Hardauli village when locals surrounded him, police said.
A police team rushed to the spot after being informed, but the villagers had released him by then. A video of the incident soon went viral on social media. In the video, Singh is seen tied to the tower, while youth and children stand nearby. On Friday, police identified seven men who were at the spot - six of them were arrested on charges of wrongful confinement. “We also arrested them on charges of breach of peace,” said Station House Officer of Bindki police station, Shailesh Kumar Singh.
Hardauli village, which has a mixed population, is 30 km from the Fatehpur district headquarters. In the video, villagers can be heard saying they had been facing connectivity failures for the past two years. Police said during their probe, locals claimed they were purchasing data packages for 5G plans but were getting poor 4G connectivity instead, with their phone connections dropping after some time.
Thursday was Singh’s first visit to the tower, police said. Locals claimed no staff had turned up at the tower in the previous three months. “Singh had joined the firm around three months ago,” a police officer said. “A section of the villagers told us they believed tying the technician with a rope would send a message to senior officials, prompting other staff to come and resolve their problem,” the officer said.
Fatehpur SP Abhimanyu Manglik said police registered an FIR after the incident came to their notice through social media. “A case has come to light through social media wherein a technician in Hardouli village under Thana Bindki jurisdiction was taken hostage by local individuals,” Manglik said.
He added that the villagers had made a video demonstrating that the 5G network was not available in the area and had allegedly taken the technician hostage over the issue. Police said further legal action was being taken in the case.
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Poor phone network leaves UP villagers fuming. They tie technician to tower
3 days ago · Manish Sahu5G network poor, villagers tie telecom techie to mobile tower in UP's Fatehpur
The incident reportedly took place on Thursday at the Hardauli village in Bindki area of Fatehpur district.
3 days agoWatch: Fed up over poor network, villagers tie technician with mobile tower
Villagers held a mobile tower technician captive for two hours in Fatehpur district. They were frustrated with poor mobile connectivity for approximately two years. Police intervened and rescued the technician after being alerted by another villager. An FIR was registered against unknown villagers following the technician's complaint. Investigations are currently underway regarding the unusual incident.
4 days ago · KAPIL DIXITVillagers tie technician to tower over poor network
In Hardauli, Uttar Pradesh, locals took matters into their own hands as they detained a telecom technician, tying him to a mobile tower. Their frustration over ongoing 5G connectivity issues boiled over into this unusual protest. The police have since registered a case against the villagers, marking a significant incident in rural India's increasing dependence on mobile telecommunications.
2 days ago · PRIYA SRIVASTAVA