Varanasi, Aug 6: A camera-equipped drone crashed late Tuesday evening near platform number 7 of Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station, prompting a swift security response, officials said.
Authorities suspect it belonged to a content creator filming for social media, although its owner has not yet been identified.
RPF in-charge Sandeep Yadav said that teams from the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police Force (GRPF), and a bomb detection and dog squad (BDDS) rushed to the site immediately after being alerted.
The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched to rule out any potential threat.
“Preliminary investigation suggests the drone may have been used for filming reels or short videos. The device did not carry any suspicious payload,” Yadav said.
The RPF has taken the drone into custody for further investigation and identification of its owner.
The incident comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh is witnessing heightened surveillance and stricter enforcement of drone regulations following a directive from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In a high-level videoconference earlier this week, the Chief Minister instructed all district magistrates and senior police officials to clamp down on unauthorised drone operations amid rising concerns about misinformation, public panic, and misuse of drone technology.
According to officials, 17 FIRs and 29 arrests have been made across the state in recent weeks for drone-related offences, including the circulation of false videos and rumours.
Adityanath warned that any misuse of drones to spread fear or disinformation could attract serious charges under the Gangsters Act and even the National Security Act (NSA).
“Technology must not be misused. Unauthorised drone use will not be tolerated,” the Chief Minister said, also directing police to increase ground patrols and involve village security committees.
Several districts, including Ayodhya, Mathura, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, and Bijnor, Shahjahanpur have since issued blanket bans on drone flights without written permission.(PTI)
