Villagers in India's Uttar Pradesh province tied up a telecommunications technician with cables to a cell tower, protesting what they described as poor 5G connectivity.
The incident occurred in the village of Hardauli in Fatehpur, where locals complained of experiencing slow and unstable 4G service despite having paid for 5G for over two years. According to reports, the villagers had lodged frequent complaints about the issue, but claimed no action was taken to improve the signal.
The technician, identified locally as Aditya Bhan Singh, was confronted by villagers upon his arrival to address the connectivity problems. They expressed frustration over the performance of the private telecom tower installed in their area, which they claimed had always worked poorly.
Witnesses reported hearing the villagers reference the slow signal as they bound Mr. Singh to the tower. Their intention, according to local reports, was to draw the attention of higher-ranking officials within the network provider, whom they felt had ignored their grievances. The villagers allegedly threatened to keep Mr. Singh tied up until company officials visited the village and rectified the service issues. He was later released.
Following the incident, five individuals reportedly face charges related to unlawful confinement and disturbing public order. Abhimanyu Manglik, Superintendent of Fatehpur Police, stated that villagers claimed the area had suffered from poor mobile connectivity, particularly 5G services, for nearly two years, despite the presence of a private telecom tower.
Footage of Mr. Singh being tied to the tower, along with a video demonstrating the poor signal quality, was shared on social media. The incident was reported to the police after it gained online traction.