UP CM Yogi Adityanath has warned that anyone flying drones without official approval or spreading rumours to incite panic will face strict action under the Gangster Act, with the National Security Act (NSA) applicable in serious cases.
He directed senior officials to intensify district-wise drone surveillance, enhance patrolling, and take strict action against all violations. The order follows a series of mob attacks in western UP, sparked by false rumours that drones were being used by thieves to identify target homes.
During a review meeting with senior police officials, CM Yogi Adityanath reiterated that the unauthorised use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is banned in Uttar Pradesh, and any misuse will invite strict legal action. He warned that drone misuse aimed at creating panic would not be tolerated. “Those using drones illegally or to spread fear will face action. If needed, NSA provisions will be invoked,” he said.
False rumours about drones have led to community patrols, mob violence, and attacks on mentally disabled individuals and outsiders mistakenly believed to be gang members. In some areas, residents formed vigilante groups and launched crackdowns based solely on unverified drone sightings.
The warning follows a recent incident in Bareilly’s Bhojipura area, where a 50-year-old mentally unstable man was lynched. In other parts of western UP, locals have caught and beaten “outsiders” at night, suspecting them of being “drone thieves”, individuals believed to use drones to scout houses for burglary or arson.
In response to the unrest, UP Police have begun night patrols from 11 pm to 3 am in sensitive areas, launched awareness drives with village heads, and introduced a “drone register” to track authorised drone operators.
Police have clarified that the use of drones at night is now strictly prohibited to avoid panic and confusion among residents. Authorities have also made several arrests in connection with spreading drone-related rumours and participating in mob violence.
In Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, and Bareilly, individuals have been detained both for spreading misinformation and for involvement in attacks. In a bizarre case in Muzaffarnagar, three people were arrested for allegedly using pigeons fitted with LED lights to mimic drone activity and instil fear in the community. The same night, a 55-year-old mentally challenged man wandering in a village was attacked by locals; three men were arrested in connection with the assault. So far, six people have been taken into custody in Muzaffarnagar for fuelling drone-related panic, according to SSP Sanjay Kumar Verma.
In Meerut, police arrested eight individuals on August 2. SSP Vipin Tada said that cyber teams have been monitoring social media for misinformation, detecting 19 fake posts on Instagram, seven on Facebook, and two on X (formerly Twitter). In another disturbing incident on Friday night, a 22-year-old woman visiting her boyfriend’s house in Bareilly was tied to a pole and brutally beaten by residents who wrongly believed she was part of a “drone thief gang.”
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