Police have booked five people, including Maharashtra Youth Congress president Shivraj More, after an unauthorised drone was flown over the site of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission students’ protest near S M Joshi Bridge in Pune, according to a complaint filed at the Vishrambaug police station.
The case relates to an incident reported on October 5, when a drone was seen flying above a crowd gathered at the protest site at around 7.30 pm. Police said the drone operator was located near a generator at the rear of the protest area while controlling the device. The case was registered on October 10.
The individuals named in the case are drone operator Digambar Bharat Khare, Shivraj More, Pramod Patil, Rishikesh Gangurde and Akshay Kamble. The complaint was filed by police constable Yuvraj Tele, who was present near the protest site for security-related duties.
According to the complaint, Assistant Police Inspector Kudale questioned the drone operator after the device was traced. Khare allegedly told the police that he worked in photography and had flown the drone to record the protest at the request of More, Patil, Gangurde and Kamble. He also reportedly stated that no permission had been obtained for the flight.
Police instructed the operator to bring the drone down and seized equipment valued at approximately Rs 50,000. The seized items included a drone estimated to be worth Rs 40,000 and an older remote controller valued at Rs 10,000. The police said Khare was repeatedly asked to produce formal permission for operating the drone and filming the event but did not submit any documents.
The incident places the use of privately operated aerial devices at a crowded public gathering under scrutiny. At a protest site, a drone can create safety concerns for people below, complicate police monitoring and raise questions about whether footage is being recorded with the consent or knowledge of participants. The police account, however, does not establish the purpose for which the footage was intended beyond the allegation that it was being recorded for the protest organisers.
The case comes amid separate police action linked to the same MPSC student agitation. On October 9, Vishrambaug police registered a case against 15 people, including student representatives, for allegedly gathering on a public road in front of Indulal Complex in Navi Peth after the protest permission had reportedly been cancelled.
Police said that gathering caused significant traffic congestion in the area and affected public peace and order. The two cases highlight the administrative difficulties of managing prolonged public demonstrations in central Pune, where protest activity can intersect with pedestrian movement, road traffic, police deployment and restrictions on equipment used at public events.
Police Sub-Inspector Shobha Teli is conducting the further investigation into the drone case. The report does not indicate whether the five accused have been arrested or whether the police have released further details about the legal provisions applied.
