UP CM Yogi Adityanath has warned that individuals operating drones without official permission or spreading rumours and misinformation about them to create panic will be prosecuted under the Gangster Act, and in serious cases, the National Security Act (NSA) will also be invoked.
He instructed senior officials to step up district-wise drone surveillance, strengthen patrolling, and ensure all violations are dealt with firmly. The directive comes amid a series of mob attacks triggered by false claims of thieves using drones to scout homes they target in western UP.
During a review meeting with senior police officers, Yogi said that unauthorised use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was banned in the state and any misuse would attract legal action.
He added that drone misuse would not be tolerated.
“Anyone using drones illegally or for creating panic will not be spared. If required, the NSA will be used,” the CM said.
The ‘misinformation’ about drones has triggered community-led patrolling, physical assaults, and mob action against mentally disabled persons and outsiders mistaken for gang members. In some areas, residents formed vigilante groups and launched independent crackdowns based purely on unverified drone sightings.
The warning comes days after a 50-year-old mentally unstable man was lynched by a mob in Bareilly’s Bhojipura area, and “outsiders” were caught and thrashed at night by locals in parts of western UP on suspicion of being “drone thieves” – people presumed to use drones to recce an area before targeting houses for burglary or arson.
Sensing public disorder, UP police have already launched night patrols from 11pm to 3am in some areas, along with awareness campaigns with village heads, and created a “drone register” to identify legitimate operators. Police further clarified that drone use at night has been barred completely to prevent chaos and panic.
There have also been several arrests of “drone rumour suspects” in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad and Bareilly, along with some of those involved in “mob attacks”.
In the latest such case in Muzaffarnagar, three persons were held for allegedly using pigeons fitted with LED lights – in the night sky – to mimic drone activity and purportedly spread fear.
On Saturday night, a 55-year-old mentally challenged person roaming in a village in the district was targeted by locals.
Three men were later arrested. SSP Sanjay Kumar Verma said six people have been arrested in the district so far for spreading “drone thief” rumours.
