Flying of drones, paragliders banned in Mumbai for one month

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The Mumbai Police have banned flying drones, remote-controlled microlight aircraft, paragliders and hot air balloons for the period of a month, to prevent any sabotage attempt, officials said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI.

The prohibitory order, issued under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, will be in force from April 4 to May 5, a Mumbai Police statement said.

According to the order, terrorists and anti-social elements might make use of drones, remote-controlled microlight aircraft, and paragliders in their attacks and target VVIPs, endangering people's lives, as well as to destroy public property and causing law and order disturbances in the Mumbai Police Commissionerate area.

Certain restrictions need to be put on the activities of such elements in the city to prevent probable sabotages through the flying objects, for which some preventive measures are required to be taken, said the order.

Accordingly, no flying activities of drones, remote-controlled microlight aircraft, or paragliders shall be allowed in the Mumbai Police's jurisdiction, except the aerial surveillance of police or by specific permission of DCP (Operations), it said.

Any person contravening the order shall be punished under section 223 (disobedience to a lawful order promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the order added.

Five held with pistols in Mumbai; cops suspect celebrity on target

Meanwhile, the Mumbai crime branch arrested five members of a gang from the Andheri area and seized seven pistols and 21 live rounds from them, police said on Wednesday, adding that they suspect a celebrity was on target of the gang.

The motive behind carrying weapons is being investigated, an official said.

Police suspect that the accused had planned to harm a celebrity, an official said without elaborating.

Based on specific information, the crime branch team picked them up on Saturday, he said.

They are identified as Vikash Thakur alias Vickey, Sumitkumar Dilawar, Shreyas Yadav, Devendra Saksena, and Vivek Gupta, he said, adding that they hail from Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

Sumitkumar and Vikash are history sheeters, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)