Fix it ASAP: Frustrated by network woes, villagers tie tower worker to pole in UP
Villagers in Fatehpur's Hardauli allegedly tied a mobile tower worker to a pole after a row over poor connectivity. A viral video has triggered a police probe into the detention and the long-running network complaints.
Residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district tied a mobile tower technician to a pole after becoming frustrated over persistent network problems, police said.
The incident took place in Hardauli village under the Bindki Kotwali police station area on Thursday evening. A video of the incident, in which the technician can be seen tied to a pole inside the tower premises, has surfaced on social media and prompted police action.
According to police, villagers had been facing mobile network problems for a long time. Their frustration escalated when the Jio tower technician arrived in the village on Thursday evening.
The villagers caught the technician and tied him to a pole inside the mobile tower premises. Police later took cognisance of the incident after the video surfaced online.
VILLAGERS FRUSTRATED OVER NETWORK PROBLEMS
According to residents, a telecom company’s mobile tower was installed in Hardauli village around two years ago. The installation had raised hopes that the long-standing connectivity problems in the area would be resolved.
However, villagers claimed that network service had remained unreliable, particularly in recent months. They said they were struggling to make phone calls and were also unable to use mobile internet properly.
The residents also complained that 5G network connectivity was not available on their mobile phones, despite the presence of the tower in the village.
Villagers had reportedly been facing the issue for a prolonged period. On Thursday evening, their frustration boiled over when the tower technician reached the village.
The residents caught him and tied him to a pole within the tower compound. The incident was recorded on video, which subsequently went viral on social media.
POLICE DETAIN FIVE
Fatehpur Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said police took immediate cognisance of the incident after the video surfaced on social media.
According to the SP, the people involved had also made a video in which they displayed that 5G network was not available on their mobile phones, and indicated that this was the reason behind their action against the technician.
Police registered a case under relevant sections after the incident came to their notice.
"An incident involving a Jio tower technician being held hostage by local people in Hardauli village has come to our notice through social media. The persons involved also made a video, in which they showed that 5G network was not available on their mobile phones," SP Abhimanyu Manglik said.
Following registration of the case, five people connected to the incident were taken into custody and further legal action is being initiated against them, police said.
The police are examining the video and other evidence to establish the sequence of events and determine the role of those involved.