Overview
- Security staff paused the chief minister’s takeoff after a drone hovered near her helicopter on Saturday in Malda, and she asked police to investigate.
- Police arrested three men from Bihar’s Katihar district — Noor Akhtar, Ankit Kumar Paswan and Srikant Mandal — and produced them in a Chanchal court on Sunday.
- Officers seized the drone and opened a suo motu case, and they told the Election Commission about the incident.
- The trio told police they were shooting for a Trinamool candidate’s social media pages, and officers are verifying the claim and any flight clearances.
- Flying drones near VIP movements and helipads in India needs prior approval, so the case could lead to tighter checks at campaign sites in West Bengal.