The two Bangladeshis who were arrested on Thursday for allegedly flying a drone on the Victoria Memorial premises without permission are said to have told police they had come to India to “add weightage” to their visa for South Korea, which they were planning to visit later this month.
Mohammad Shifat, 20, and his uncle Mohammad Zillur Rahman, 35, were supposed to return to Dhaka on August 11, an officer who had seized train tickets from them said.
“Shifat said he had got a chance to study at an institute in South Korea, where his father is settled for 13 years. Uncle Rahman wanted to go there for business. They said they had planned to spend only three days in India to add weightage to their visa so it became easier for them to get a residential permit in South Korea,” said an officer.
The two also had plans to visit Australia for the same reason, they have purportedly told the police. The two have been booked under the IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servants), 268 (public nuisance), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).
They have also been booked under Section 11A of the Aircraft Act 1934, which deals with punishment for non-compliance with Section 5A of the Act. Section 5A deals with the prohibition of the use of aircraft except under the authority of and in accordance with a licence. If convicted, they can be jailed for two years.
They have purportedly told the police that they did not see any declaration or public notice mentioning that flying a drone was prohibited on the Victoria premises.
Victoria’s curator and secretary Jayanta Sengupta said there was signage on both gates mentioning that flying drones inside the compound was prohibited. The police have started a case based on a complaint lodged by the CISF, which is in charge of the security of the monument.
Shifat and Rahman have been remanded in police custody and cannot leave before the case is resolved.