“We won’t release him until officials arrive”: Villagers tie technician to mobile tower over poor network
In a recent update, a mobile network complaint in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur took an unusual turn when villagers in Hardauli allegedly detained a telecom technician and tied him to a mobile tower. Local police described the incident as a dispute over poor network connectivity. The incident came to police attention after a video of the episode surfaced on social media. Fatehpur Police has acknowledged the case, while Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik told PTI that police have initiated legal action.The incidentThe incident reportedly took place on September 10 in Hardauli village. The village falls under the Bindki police station area of Fatehpur district. As per police account reported after the incident, a technician, named Aditya Bhan Singh, had reached the village when local residents confronted him over continuous network-related problems.Singh had gone to the village to look into the poor mobile network when some residents allegedly detained him and tied him to the tower. They demanded that the 5G connectivity problem be resolved, PTI quoted as saying Superintendent of Police (Fatehpur) Abhimanyu Manglik.“Villagers claimed the area had been facing poor mobile connectivity, particularly 5G services, for nearly two years despite a private telecom tower being installed there,” the SP said.According to police, the issue was not just about a temporary network disruption. Villagers told investigators that they had been facing connectivity problems for a long time and complained that mobile services were not functioning as they expected despite the presence of a telecom tower in the village.Police said the villagers also made a video demonstrating the lack of 5G connectivity on their phones.The video that subsequently circulated online showed the technician restrained near the tower. The footage drew attention because the villagers appeared to be linking the action directly to their complaints about mobile connectivity.What police said
Villagers held a mobile tower technician captive for two hours in Fatehpur district.
Fatehpur Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik confirmed that the matter had come to the police through social media. According to his statement, a technician in Hardauli village under Bindki police station jurisdiction had allegedly been taken hostage by local individuals.Police subsequently registered a case and began investigating the incident. India Today, quoting the Fatehpur SP, reported that five people connected with the episode were taken into custody and that further legal action was being initiated. Police were also examining the video and other evidence to establish the sequence of events and the role of those involved.The case highlights the frustration that can build around mobile connectivity in rural areas, where phones are increasingly tied to everyday activities such as communication, online services and digital transactions.Network issues in rural areasThe Department of Telecommunications offers grievance mechanisms for telecom-related public complaints. Its official material says citizens can report poor service through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).For now, the Fatehpur incident remains a matter under police investigation. While the viral video has generated considerable attention, the official police version is the most important reference point in establishing what happened.The episode also shows a larger reality of India’s digital rural life, high dependency on mobile connectivity.
