According to Sangramsinh Nishandar, deputy commissioner of police (zone VI), on Monday around 12.45pm, a professor of Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Vyankat Babu, spotted a Toyota Etios car (MH-02/CR/1215) parked near the institute gate.
A drone that was spotted flying near the Bhabha Atomic Research Center on Monday was being operated by two employees of a real estate portal. The Trombay police on Tuesday identified the two who were flying the drone. An FIR may be filed against the duo.
According to Sangramsinh Nishandar, deputy commissioner of police (zone VI), on Monday around 12.45pm, a professor of Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Vyankat Babu, spotted a Toyota Etios car (MH-02/CR/1215) parked near the institute gate. Two men got out of the car and started flying the drone and taking pictures, he said, adding that he felt something was amiss and, hence, recorded the entire event on his mobile phone. He later approached the Trombay police and informed them about the incident.
"After Babu showed us the video, we immediately got into action. In the video, we could see the number of the car; through it we tracked down its owner. The owner then told us that he gives the car on rent and on Monday it was taken on hire by two people," said Nishandar.
The police, after getting the details of the two people from the car owner, tracked them down. They were identified as Shiv Kumar Shahane and Rohit Sonawane. "Shahane and Sonawane told us that they were employees of real estate website Housing.com; they admitted to flying the drone in the area. They said they were clicking pictures of under-construction buildings and flats to put them up on their website," said the DCP.
According to the police, the duo flew the drone for just 10-15 minutes, but in that period clicked at least 100 pictures. "We have not yet registered an FIR against them and are contemplating what step needs to be taken. The two claim that they were not aware of the rules and they did so by mistake," said Nishandar.
"There is a blanket ban on flying drones in the city; if one needs to use it, s/he has to seek permission from the local police station and other authorities. In this case, they had not taken our permission."
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