Drone Scare Near Taj Hotel: 22-Year-Old Held for Flying Remote-Controlled Aircraft in Mumbai’s Colaba

In a major security breach in Mumbai’s high-security Colaba area, a 22-year-old man from Hyderabad was caught flying a drone without permission near the iconic Taj Hotel early Monday morning.

The suspect has been identified as Aramalla JC Isaac Abraham Lincoln, a resident of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The area around the Taj Hotel falls under a sensitive zone and is under constant surveillance by police and security agencies.

According to information received from the police, members of the Quick Response Team (QRT) — Sudhakar Raosaheb Patil and his team leader API Sudhir Kamthe — were on patrol near P. Ramchandani Road around 4 am when they noticed a suspicious flying object in the sky. Upon closer inspection, it was confirmed to be a drone.

The officers immediately launched a local search and traced the signal to a vehicle parked near Jetty No. 05, close to the Gateway of India. The four-wheeler, bearing registration number HP 38 H 4710, had a man inside operating the drone using a remote control.

On questioning, the man admitted the drone belonged to him and that he was flying it without any official permission. He was taken to the Colaba Police Station, where his identity and other details were recorded. The police also seized a grey DJI Air 3S drone along with a remote controller marked “CNS”, valued at approximately ₹70,000.

Notably, the Mumbai Police Commissionerate had earlier imposed a complete ban on the use of drones, microlight aircraft, paragliders, and hand gliders from May 5 to June 3, 2025, under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The accused was found in violation of this directive.

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.