Mumbai: 22-Year-Old Tourist Detained for Flying Drone Near Taj Hotel in Colaba

A 22-year-old man was apprehended operating a drone without authorisation outside the Taj Hotel in Colaba on May 13. A suspicious flying item in the neighbourhood was reported to the Quick Response Team (QRT). Following an inquiry, the QRT team - which included team leader API Sudhir Kamthe and Sudhakar Raosaheb Patil - located the drone operator's vehicle close to the Gateway of India, which is located close to Jetty No. 5. The young man has been identified by the police as Aramalla Lincoln, who lives in Hyderabad. In addition to working at a photography business, he enjoys aerial photography as a pastime.

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He claimed that he was operating the drone to take pictures for his own personal use and that he was not aware that drone use is prohibited in the area, which is classified as a sensitive security zone because of its close proximity to the Taj Hotel, which is constantly monitored by security and law enforcement. Lincoln was visiting Mumbai as a tourist and had come to see a performance. He was operating the drone on Monday at approximately 4:30 am when a bystander spotted it and called the authorities.

The drone and its remote control were confiscated by the police. Under the pertinent portions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a case has been filed against him.