CM copter drone cuffs on trio; accused claim they wanted exclusive footage of Mamata
Telegraph | 6 April 2026
Police arrested three residents of Bihar’s Katihar district on Saturday night for allegedly flying a drone near the helicopter of chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Malatipur in Malda.
The incident occurred around 1pm on Saturday when Mamata was preparing to leave for Gazole after addressing a public meeting in the Malatipur Assembly constituency.
As she was approaching the helicopter, one drone was apparently hovering near the helicopter.
The chief minister reportedly spotted the drone and expressed displeasure. “Police should look into such drones. Those flying such objects near the copter should be identified,” she said.
Acting on the directive, police detained Srikant Mandal, Ankit Kumar Paswan and Nur Akhtar, all in their late twenties or early thirties, from the site.
“All three are from Katihar district. The drone has been seized and is being examined. The trio are being questioned,” a senior police officer said.
During preliminary interrogation, the accused claimed they had no malicious intent. They said they were part of the social media team of Trinamool candidate from Harishchandrapur, Md Matibur Rahaman, and had used a high-resolution camera attached to the drone to capture visuals of the meeting and the chief minister’s arrival and departure.
“They said the footage was meant for use on the candidate’s social media platforms. The authenticity of their claims is being verified. We are trying to contact Matibur Rahaman for his statement,” a police official said on condition of anonymity.
Police sources added that flying drones in areas involving VIP movement requires prior permission.
“There are strict protocols for operating drones during VIP movements. It appears the youths did not obtain the necessary clearance,” the officer said.
Rahaman could not be reached for comment.
ADM showcaused
Shaikh Ansar Ahmed, additional district magistrate (zilla parishad) of Malda, has been served a showcause notice for alleged lapses during the unrest and road blockades in parts of the district on April 1, which ultimately led to the gherao of seven judicial officers in Mothabari.
District magistrate Rajanvir Singh Kapur issued the notice on Sunday, asking Ahmed to explain his “failure to communicate the gravity of the ground situation to higher authorities between 3.30pm and 8.30pm” that day, sources in the administration said.
The notice stated that such failure, particularly when Ahmed was the “senior-most civil officer designated for field coordination”, amounted to “serious dereliction of duty and breach of trust reposed in him”.
Ahmed has been asked to reply within seven days. He was not available for comment.