Mumbai: A 22-year-old man was caught flying a drone without permission outside the Taj Hotel in Colaba on Tuesday. The Quick Response Team (QRT) received information about a suspicious flying object in the area. Upon investigation, the QRT team, comprising Sudhakar Raosaheb Patil and team leader API Sudhir Kamthe, traced the drone operator to a car parked near the Gateway of India near Jetty No 5.
According to the police, the youth has been identified as Aramalla Lincoln, a resident of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. He works at a photography shop and pursues aerial photography as a hobby.
He stated that he was flying the drone to take photographs out of personal interest and claimed he was unaware of the restrictions on drone use in the area, which falls under a sensitive security zone due to its proximity to the Taj Hotel, a site under constant surveillance by police and security agencies.
Lincoln had come to Mumbai to attend a show and was exploring the city as a tourist. On Monday, at around 4:30 am, he was flying the drone when a citizen noticed it and alerted the police.
The police seized the drone along with its remote controller. A case has been registered against him under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
