Drone seen near Uddhav's Mumbai home; MMRDA says it was used for POD taxi project survey
Mumbai (PTI): A drone was spotted near former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence in Mumbai on Sunday, prompting the Shiv Sena (UBT) to allege possible "surveillance" in a high security zone under a "police-state action".
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), however, clarified that the UAV was used for a POD taxi project survey with police's permission.
In a post on X, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab demanded investigation by the police to identify the drone operator and the motive behind the aerial "filming". He also wondered if there was any "terrorist background" behind it.
"A drone was spotted hovering over 'Matoshree'. This raises serious concerns about a potential security breach in a high-security zone," the legislator claimed.
'Matoshree', located in Mumbai's Bandra area, is a heavily guarded residence of the Thackerays.
Parab said that flying a drone or filming with it in such a sensitive, high-security area without prior permission is a grave matter.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8) Manish Kalwaniya, however, said the drone was part of a survey being conducted with the permission of the MMRDA in the nearby Bandra-Kurla Complex area.
"Please avoid misinformation," the DCP added to quell the speculation surrounding the sighting.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray alleged the drone was peeping into our window, which shows the country was turning into a "surveillance state".
In a post on X, he claimed the drone was seen hovering at window level until they began recording it, after which it flew away erratically.
"The drone surveillance of our house today is a shameful incident, yet doesn't shock us, with the kind of surveillance state that we live in," the Sena (UBT) leader said.
He further questioned why the residents were not informed that the drone was part of a survey of the BKC with police permission.
The MMRDA, meanwhile, said the drone was used for a POD taxi project survey with prior permission of the police.
The drone exercise was conducted to aid a visual study of the approved alignment for the Personal Rapid Transit (POD) taxi project along Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), it said.
The authority had secured all necessary approvals from the police department on behalf of the concessionaire, and the survey, carried out over the past two days, was monitored by police personnel and officials concerned, it said.
Aaditya, however, sought to draw a comparison with the Election Commission's restrictions on releasing footage from voting booths to protect voter privacy.
"The drone operator was peeping into our window, and later the MMRDA says it was for the whole of BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex). No other government agency globally would be able to justify such police-state actions under the name of 'survey," he added.
MMRDA maintained that all necessary permissions were obtained on behalf of the concessionaire from the Police Department, and every instruction issued by them was strictly adhered to.
The certified drone operator, whose background verification has already been submitted, adhered to all instructions issued by the authorities. The operation remained fully restricted to the permitted route without any deviation, the agency stated.
"The operation remained fully compliant and restricted to the approved alignment, with no breach or deviation at any stage," the MMRDA added.
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Assam govt moves SC against anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera
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New Delhi (PTI): The Assam government has moved the Supreme Court against the Telangana High Court order granting one-week transit anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case registered against him for levelling allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife.
The petition was filed on Sunday through advocate Shuvodeep Roy and is likely to be taken up for hearing this week.
On April 10, the high court granted one-week transit anticipatory bail to Khera.
The high court gave him a week's time to file an application before the court concerned and granted him relief with certain conditions.
"Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court is of the view that the petitioner has made out a case for grant of limited transit anticipatory bail, as his apprehension of arrest appears to be reasonable and supported by material on record," the high court had said in its order.
The conditions were that the petitioner shall be released on bail in the event of arrest on his executing a personal bond for Rs one lakh with two sureties for the like sum each, cooperate with the investigation and make himself available for interrogation as and when required by the Investigating Officer and that he shall not leave the country without prior permission of the competent Court.
The conditions further include that the petitioner shall, within the stipulated period, approach the competent jurisdictional court in Assam and seek appropriate relief and he, being a public figure, shall exercise restraint in making any further public statements in relation to the subject matter of the present case, which may prejudice the investigation, the order said.
The Congress leader on April 5 had alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister's election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls in that state.
The case against Khera was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under several sections of the BNS, including 175 (false statement in connection with an election), 35 (Right of private defence of the body and of property) and 318 (cheating).
Khera, who approached the high court on April 7, showed his residential address in Hyderabad. He had requested the high court to release him on bail in the event of his arrest.
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