Three people were arrested for flying drones in restricted areas during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bavla, according to police.
The incident occurred during PM Modi’s visit to Bavla in connection with the Gujarat elections, when three people were filming with a drone camera from the main road near Sabha Place.The entire area of two kilometres near the Sabha was notified as a “no drone flying zone,” officials said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Nikul Rameshbhai Parmar (24), Rakesh Kalubhai Bharvad (35), and Rajeshkumar Mangilal Prajapati (20).
“One police constable, Anup Sinh Bharatsang of the Local Crime Branch, Ahmedabad Rural, identified some persons operating a microdrone from the main road near the Sabha ground. When the operators of the drone were apprehended and asked to take it down, the three people complied and took down the drone. The BDDS team immediately checked the drone and confirmed that the drone was only for filming and had an operating camera, and it did not have any explosives or any other harmful objects,” said police on Thursday.
The officials also informed us that no prohibited item has been found with the accused, and they were outside the perimeter wall of the Sabha when they were operating the drone.
As per reports, the arrested accused said that they were general photographers and were unaware of the prohibition in the area.
The police officials booked the accused as per Indian Penal Code Section 188, and an FIR has been registered.
“There are no police records or previous criminal history of the persons. They are individuals who are not associated with any political party or organization. Prima facie the persons do not seem to have intended to use the drone for any harm, but the police are undertaking thorough interrogation and investigation in the case,” read an official statement by the police.