Mumbai: The police has booked a city-based builder’s employee for allegedly flying a drone at Pedder Road, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city. A case has been registered under section 188 against one Tetharkar Ganguli.
Although Ganguli had taken the police’s permission to operate the drone, he failed to follow certain norms, a police officer said. As per the norms, the local police station should be informed and drones should be flown in the presence of police personnel only, the officer added.
“Ganguli is out of the city so he has not been arrested yet. Further investigation is ongoing to find out if other members were involved in flying the drone,” said senior inspector Dattaram Girap of Gamdevi police.
PM Modi was scheduled to go from Raj Bhawan to BKC via Pedder Road the next day.
According to the police, the incident took place around 8 pm on June 13 when the security was beefed up for security purposes. Some officers in a police vehicle deployed near Altamount Road noticed the drone near Pedder Road and informed the control room.
The team immediately rushed to the spot but the person had left with the drone.
We inquired with local police and learnt that there is a builder’s plot near the Russian Centre for Science and Culture situated between Altamount Road and Pedder Road, added Girap.
During the further inquiry, it was found that the drone was used to survey and click pictures of the plot, added officer.
Ganguli had taken permission from the office of the deputy commissioner of the police (operation) department a few days ago. But as per the norms and instructions are given by the DCP office he should have informed local police stations and flown the drone in the presence of police personnel, said Girap.
Meanwhile, the Malabar Hill police initiated an inquiry to trace a car which had breached the convoy of chief minister Udhav Thackeray on Friday evening when he was returning home after meeting the governor. The incident occurred around 7:30 pm in Malabar Hill. “It appears that the driver of the car was taking a turn and came in front of the second vehicle of the CM’s convoy and cut across it. There seems to be no malafide intent. The car has been identified and we are verifying who was driving it,” said a police officer.