Drone scare triggers chaos: 1 dead, 8 assaulted in mob attacks | Meerut News
RUDRAPUR/BIJNOR: A 25-year-old labourer died in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar after being hit by a speeding car during late-night chaos, and eight others were assaulted in two separate mob attacks in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district, as widespread panic over unverified drone sightings and suspicious night-time movement gripped towns and villages across both states. Police in Amroha registered an FIR against 60 unidentified persons in connection with one of the attacks.Police in Udham Singh Nagar said the panic was based on misinformation and no drone-related crimes had been recorded. SSP Manikant Mishra said, “Rumours about drones and the movement of unidentified individuals have been circulating in US Nagar, Bijnor, Moradabad and Pilibhit over the past few days. I want to clarify that no such drone-related crime or incident has occurred in our district so far.”The SSP added that unauthorised drone use without police permission could attract confiscation and legal penalties. “These are baseless and unfounded rumours. I urge citizens not to pay heed to such misinformation or spread it further, as it only causes unnecessary panic and disrupts public peace.” DIG (Moradabad range) G Muniraj told TOI, “Incidents of drone sightings took place about 10 days ago and after we conducted extensive awareness campaigns involving village suraksha samitis and wedding drone owners, the incidents died down. The Friday night incident in Amroha was the result of a mistaken identity and villagers thought the victims were thieves. We have taken strict action and filed an FIR too.”The fatal incident in US Nagar, meanwhile, occurred on Thursday night in Bannakhera village under Bazpur sub-division, where residents rushed out with sticks and rods following rumours of drones and intruders in the area. Amid the confusion, Soran Kashyap, a 25-year-old daily wage worker, tried to cross the Bailparao route and was hit by a speeding vehicle. The driver fled the scene. Locals and police took Soran to the sub-district hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.This came even as two lynching attempts took place the same night in Amroha district in neighbouring UP. In Naseerpur village under Bachhraon police station, villagers attacked two brothers — Umar Chaudhary, 20, and Islam Chaudhary, 24 — who were guarding their mango orchard. Mistaking them for thieves, the mob assaulted them with sharp weapons and damaged their vehicles. Both sustained serious injuries. Next door in Sambhal, six factory workers were returning from Panipat when they lost their way while using a GPS app in Patai Khalsa village under Didoli police station. When they stopped to ask for directions, they were surrounded by villagers, who vandalised their vehicle and beat them. The injured — Mohammad Asif, 23, Mushahid Ahmad, 25, Ankit Kumar, 20, and Tahjibul Ahmad, 28 — were admitted to hospital.Amroha SSP Amit Kumar Anand, said, “Rumours of drone flying linked to thefts are rife. Meetings at village levels have been held with an appeal not to pay attention to the rumours. Strict action will be taken against those who are spreading it.”CO (Amroha) Shakti Singh added, “Assailants are being identified with the help of videos. Police are also running awareness campaigns through social media and village meetings, urging people not to take law into their own hands.”Locals in Lakshmipur Patti, however, are not convinced. Some of them told TOI that drones flying above rooftops are often followed by “unknown men carrying bags”. In Prabhu Vihar and near the Government Polytechnic campus, residents claimed that wires connected to CCTV and emergency lights had been cut after a “drone recce”, fuelling fears of targeted thefts. Municipal councillor Abdul Qadir and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind district secretary Ali Anwar urged authorities to issue official drone-use guidelines.
