Police bans drones, paragliders in Mumbai over aerial terror fears

Dy Commissioner Sanjay Barkund uses Sec 144 of CrPC to enforce ban for 30 days ending May 4

The Mumbai police has invoked the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to ban remote-controlled drones, paragliders and remote-controlled micro-light planes from Mumbai's airspace for a period of 30 days ending May 4.

A notification signed by Dy Police Commissioner and Executive Magistrate, Greater Mumbai, Sanjay Barkund, a copy of which is available with Business Standard, cites potential threat to the city in the form of aerial terror attacks as the reason for the ban. However, the law enforcement machinery has allowed aerial surveillance through micro-light aircraft drones.

The notification further states that contravention of the order, , which will be effective between April 5 and May 4, will attract prosecution under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. Punishment under this section entails a jail sentence of up to six months or a fine of Rs 1,000, or both.

Section 144 of the CrPC empowers a magistrate to direct any person to abstain from a certain act or to take certain order with respect to certain property in his possession or under his management.

The section, which also debars the assembly of more than five persons, was used in March as a preventive measure to tackle the possible violence over water around the Latur civic body-run tanks (Click here to read the story).

The move to invoke Section 144 of the CrPC stems from concerns over reports of infiltration into Indian territory on Wednesday, by three terrorists from Pakistan, who are believed to be on the move in Punjab. The possibility of their iniitiating an aerial terror attack on Delhi, Goa and Mumbai has not been ruled out.

The infiltrators and a local resident, who are said  to be making their way through Jammu and Kashmir in a grey Maruti Swift Dzire, are likely to cross the Banihal tunnel later tonight. The Punjab police have also factored the possibility of suicide attacks as they believe the three terrorists are heavily armed and may also be carrying suicide belts.