Mumbai Police bans use of drones and flying devices till June 3; youth booked for violation in Powai

MUMBAI: In light of heightened security measures, the Mumbai Police has imposed a strict ban on the use of drones and other remote-controlled flying devices across the city from May 5 to June 3.

The ban, ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai, includes drones, remote-controlled microlight aircraft, paragliders, paramotors, hand gliders, hot air balloons, and similar aerial devices.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has designated Mumbai as a red zone for drone operations, making unauthorised drone flights a serious violation.

Despite the directive, a 23-year-old man was caught operating a drone in Mumbai’s Powai area on Sunday. Following the incident, the individual was booked under relevant sections.

DCP (Operations), Mumbai Police, Akbar Pathan, confirmed the incident and reiterated the importance of public cooperation.

The temporary ban has been enforced to ensure public safety amid ongoing national security concerns following heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians, including one Nepali national, were killed.

In response to this, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK).

In retaliation, Pakistan has also launched large-scale attacks by Pakistan using unmanned aerial systems, drones and combat vehicles.
However, India’s air defence systems effectively neutralised all Pakistani aerial systems, drones, and combat vehicles, as told by Air Marshal AK Bharti on Sunday during a press briefing.

Addressing a press briefing, Air Marshal Bharti said, “Commencing about 8 PM local time on 8th May, several Pakistani unmanned Aerial Systems, Drones, Combat vehicles attacked multiple IAF bases. These included Jammu, Udhamur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Bathinda, Dalhousie, Jaisalmer. These were almost simultaneous and they came in waves.”

Air Marshal Bharti said, “All our air defence guns and other systems were waiting for them. All these waves were neutralised by our trained crew using the air defence systems that they have and also some of them were utilised using our legacy systems like Pechora, IAF SAMAR. There was no damage on ground from these incursions and these mass raids from the Pakistani side.” (ANI)