UP's Shahjahanpur cracks down against drone-crime 'rumours'

Authorities here have formed two teams to scuttle rumours about drones being used to commit crimes, an official said on Tuesday.

District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh said such rumours were false.

''People should not panic due to such rumours, nor should they forward any unverified information received on social media,'' he said.

The DM said anyone wishing to fly a drone must first take permission from the district administration, disclose the area of operation, and state the purpose of the activity.

They must also inform the local police station of the drone flying's date, time, and location.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said several posts about drone sightings, followed by thefts, were found to be fake after an investigation.

''We have instructed village security committees, beat constables, sub-inspectors, chowkidars and even women police personnel to reach out to villagers and raise awareness. No incident involving drones has come to our official notice so far,'' Dwivedi told PTI.

Drones weighing up to 250 grams are permitted for use in weddings and other functions without prior permission, but for heavier drones, written approval from the administration is mandatory.

Several districts, including Ayodhya, Muzaffarnagar, Mathura, Meerut, and Bijnor, on Monday banned unauthorised drone operations.

In Ayodhya, where drone restrictions were earlier limited to the temple town area surrounding the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, there is a blanket ban now.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Sunday instructed district magistrates and police to strictly monitor drone activity in light of 17 FIRs and 29 arrests linked to drone-related rumours.

The chief minister warned that unauthorised drone usage could result in action under the Gangsters Act, and, if necessary, even the National Security Act (NSA).

''Any attempt to spread fear or misinformation using drones will not be tolerated,'' Adityanath said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)