Pune police to seize drones flown without permission during Ganeshotsav

Flying a drone without permission during Ganeshotsav in Pune could now prove costly. Pune police have made it clear that anyone caught flying a drone without permission will have it seized on the spot, and legal action will also be taken against them.

Police noticed drones being used for shooting without permission at several places in the heart of the city on Ganesh Chaturthi. After this came to the notice of police, Pune police have ordered the formation of an "anti-drone squad" to curb such incidents.

On the very first day of Ganeshotsav, huge crowds gathered for the arrival processions of Ganesh idols and the pran pratishtha ceremonies in different parts of the city. Police observed that several vloggers and photographers were taking advantage of these crowds to fly drones and shoot videos and reels. A number of drone operators were found active particularly in the crowded areas at the heart of Pune.

Given the challenges of crowd management, security at key locations and the risks that drones can pose during Ganeshotsav, police have taken the matter seriously. The anti-drone squad will now be activated to act against those flying drones without permission. This squad will keep watch on the movement of drones that appear suspicious or are flying without a licence.

Operators caught shooting without the necessary permission to fly a drone will face legal action, and their drone will also be seized. This means vloggers and others breaking the rules for social media reels, YouTube videos or Ganeshotsav shoots will now have to face police action.

Police said that flying drones in crowded places could create security problems. They have therefore appealed to drone operators, vloggers, photographers and others to follow the rules.