According to the court’s observation, the accused individuals had obtained permission to use a drone for photographing the development work of their company.
On July 11, the Bombay High Court quashed the first information report (FIR) and chargesheet filed against two individuals who were accused of flying drones during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai in 2022.
The two individuals had obtained authorization from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) to operate a drone near their construction site on June 12 and 13, 2022.
However, on June 14, when PM Modi’s visit was scheduled, section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was in effect, which imposed restrictions on drone usage due to VVIP movement.
A police officer, patrolling the restricted area on June 13, noticed a drone being flown in alleged violation of the granted permission. The complaint stated that the drone was operated despite restrictions and without prior information to the local police station.
In accordance with the Maharashtra Police Act, a complaint was lodged, and the two defendants were summoned by a magistrate, leading to their challenge before the High Court.
The High Court observed that the petitioner’s granted permission did not mention the Section 144 order. Consequently, the court dismissed both the FIR and the subsequent chargesheet.
