Prayagraj: Angered by poor mobile network connectivity for the past two years, villagers allegedly tied a telecom company technician to a mobile tower for nearly two hours in Hardauli village of Fatehpur district on Thursday evening, police said.After receiving information, a Police Response Vehicle (Dial 112) team reached the spot and freed the technician. Acting on a complaint filed by technician Adityabhan Singh, Bindki police registered an FIR under Section 127(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified villagers.Fatehpur SP Abhimanyu Manglik told TOI that five people have been detained for questioning.According to police, Singh, a resident of Basawanpur in the Aung area, had gone to Hardauli village on Thursday evening to inspect the power supply at the mobile tower. During the visit, a group of villagers confronted him over persistent network issues and engaged in a heated argument.Singh alleged that one villager incited others to hold him captive and tie him to the tower. A video of the incident has since surfaced on social media.Villagers claimed that poor connectivity has severely affected phone calls, internet access and other online activities, causing inconvenience as well as financial losses. They also alleged that despite paying high recharge charges, they continue to receive inadequate network services.However, sources said the technician himself advised villagers to detain him so that their grievances could be escalated to the company’s higher authorities.Residents said a private telecom company installed the mobile tower in Hardauli about two years ago. At the time, they expected the long-standing connectivity problem to be resolved. They alleged that network issues persist despite the installation of the tower.
