10 held for flying drone without license above SSB border outpost

Siliguri: 10 persons hailing from Nepal were arrested and produced at the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Darjeeling. The 10 were arrested on charges of flying a drone above the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)border outpost. The persons could not produce any license or documents pertaining to training for flying the drone.

The 10 persons have been charged under Sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of other) of the IPC and 11/11a Air Craft Act 1972. Later Section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act was also added.

"The accused have been remanded to judicial custody till February 25. The case has been handed over to the Wildlife Division of the Forest department for further investigation as the incident occurred in the Singhalila National Park area," stated Pankaj Prasad, assistant public prosecutor, Darjeeling.

On February 16 at around 10:30 am they were flying a drone on the international border (near Pillar 58/3 and 58/4) near the SSB Border outpost in the Kalpokhari area. As they were flying the drone above the security personnel on duty it was read as a potential threat. Along with the drone, one remote control unit, memory card and cell phones have been seized from their possession.