Villagers in Uttar Pradesh Tie Telecom Technician to Tower Over Poor 5G Network

In a dramatic incident in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India, villagers tied a telecom technician named Aditya Bhan Singh to a mobile tower as a protest against poor 5G network connectivity. The protest unfolded on September 10, 2026, in the village of Hardauli, under the jurisdiction of the Bindki police station. The villagers, who had been enduring network issues for nearly two years, accused the telecom company of failing to provide adequate 5G services despite the presence of a tower in their area.

Singh, a resident of Basawanpur, was there to inspect the power supply at the telecom site when the villagers confronted him and took him hostage, demanding the resolution of the connectivity problems. The situation escalated when the villagers demanded senior company officials to come and fix the issue before releasing Singh. Police were alerted by a villager who called the 112 helpline, and officers arrived to free Singh, taking him to the police station.

Six villagers arrested in connection with the incident were later released on bail following an FIR registered against them. This incident is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by rural communities in India in accessing reliable digital infrastructure, amid a backdrop of misinformation about 5G technology.