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2 held for floating balloons, suspected to be 'unknown' flying objects

A senior police officer said, on May 23, around 5.30pm, a pilot from Indigo flight that was landing at the airport informed airport authorities about five flying objects believed to be either gliders or parachutes in the air. A pilot from a Jet Airways flight that was supposed to take off also gave a similar call to the authorities. The Air Traffic Control was informed and the information was lastly communicated to the police.

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A photo obtained from the Mumbai police shows the balloons being released; (B) accused Kunal Shah (32) and Nilesh Shrimankar (41) were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. Later, they were released on bail
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The airport authorities' anxiety over the "unknown flying objects" they sighted on May 23 turns out to be all gas and little substance, since the suspect objects were merely a bunch of balloons that were released during an inaugural cricketing event. The airport police, however, do not care to understand the lightness of the concept, and have come down heavily on two of the event organisers, Kunal Rameshbhai Shah, 32, and Nilesh Jayantilal Shrimankar, 41, both residents of Charkop in Kandivli (W).

A senior police officer said, on May 23, around 5.30pm, a pilot from Indigo flight that was landing at the airport informed airport authorities about five flying objects believed to be either gliders or parachutes in the air. A pilot from a Jet Airways flight that was supposed to take off also gave a similar call to the authorities. The Air Traffic Control was informed and the information was lastly communicated to the police.

"We immediately initiated our investigation as the incident had sparked panic and was seen as some kind of a security threat. The objects were in the prohibited area. We made inquiries with locals in the area and learnt that some event was organised at Air India ground at Kalina," said senior inspector Rajendra Nagbhirey from airport police station.

Further probe revealed that a two-day cricket tournament between six teams were organised by a Bandra-Kurla Complex-based company Dharmanand Diamond Associates (DDA) at Gate No 8 of Air India Ground at Kalina.
"While two teams from DDA were participating, the other four teams were of Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, Central Bank of India and Royal Bank of Scotland. The event contract was given to Kunal and Nilesh. The organisers had sought no police permission to conduct this event," Nagbhirey said.

The police decided to have a dialogue with the event management people without making them suspicious.

"We called the event management people posing to be clients. The organisers agreed to meet us. We asked them to see some of their work, and they showed us photographs of the Kalina event that took place on May 23. Two of the photographs were of the balloons being released," said police inspector Irfan Shaikh.

"Kunal and Nilesh told us that they had arranged six bunches of balloons filled with gas and each bunch had a name plate of the respective cricket team. The balloons were released around 5.30 pm. Five of the bunches were spotted by the airport staff," said Shaikh.

Kunal and Nilesh were arrested and booked under sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. They were produced before a metropolitan magistrate court in Andheri on Tuesday and remanded in judicial custody. They were released on bail on payment of a personal bond of Rs10,000 each.

"Is flying balloons a crime? We never imagined that flying balloons for an event would become such a huge issue. We have learnt that balloons were released from that ground during many earlier events as well," said Vicky Kamdar, a friend of Kunal and Nilesh.

The police have also found the balloon seller and recorded his statement. "The balloon seller has told the police that Nilesh and Kunal ordered balloon bunches for the event. He has identified the balloons from the photographs we showed him. He is the most important witness in the case," said a police officer.

"It has been proven that the so-called parachutes were nothing but balloons released by two diamond merchants from Kalina to celebrate Mumbai Indians' making it to the finals at the IPL. Two people have been detained for interrogation," said KP Bakshi, home secretary.

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