Mumbai police have issued an order banning use of drones, remote controlled micro- light aircraft, para-gliders within the city, stating that it is likely for terrorists or anti-social elements to use these equipment to target VVIPs or to endanger public life or destroy public property or to cause law and order issues.
The order copy states, “Whereas it has become necessary that certain restrictions should be put on the activities of such elements across the Brihanmumbai police commissionerate to prevent probable sabotage through such drone, remote controlled micro-light aircraft, aerial missiles, para-gliders for which some preventive and proactive measures needed be taken to prevent the same.”
“Hereby the police order that no flying activity of drone or other thing shall be allowed in the jurisdiction of Brihanmumbai Police Commissionerate for the period of next 30 days i.e; from October 30, 2020 to November 28, 2020, except for aerial surveillance by Mumbai Police or by specific permission in written by DCP (operations), “ the order reads.
Chaitanya S, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operation) said, “The said order is a routine order. There is a Section 144 CrPC order in place. It has just been extended.”
According to police officials, a few days ago, a helicopter pilot noticed an unidentified flying object about 100 feet above him just minutes after he took off. The incident took place at 9.30 am and the Air Traffic Control was alerted which in turn informed Mumbai police.
Suhas Raikar Assistant Commissioner of Police, Santacruz division, said, “We received this information from our police control after which we alerted all the staff members and other police stations to find out if it was a drone. But we didn’t find anything.”
