Malda drone scare: Bihar link in security breach at Mamata’s rally

Malda: Investigators have now turned their focus to a significant “Bihar connection” in the alarming drone incident that caused a major security scare during a rally attended by TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The incident took place on Saturday at Samsi, when Banerjee had just finished addressing a public gathering and was about to board her helicopter. At that moment, a drone was seen flying dangerously close to the aircraft, triggering panic among security personnel. The Chief Minister expressed strong displeasure and immediately directed officials to take strict action.

Police acted swiftly, scanning the crowd and detaining three young men suspected of operating the drone. They were later arrested and identified as Ankit Kumar Paswan, Srikant Mandal, and Noor Akhtar. Significantly, all three are residents of Katihar district in Bihar, bringing the “Bihar connection” under sharp scrutiny.

According to police sources, the trio had earlier attended a political meeting in Harishchandrapur also. Investigators are now examining whether their presence in Malda and the act of flying the drone were coincidental, reckless, or part of a deliberate attempt to breach security.

The accused have been produced before the Chanchal sub-divisional court on Sunday. Meanwhile, the incident has raised serious concerns over lapses in security arrangements, with authorities expected to investigate possible inter-state links and tighten surveillance at high-

profile events.