2 Bangladeshi nationals arrested for flying drones over Victoria Memorial in Kolkata

The Kolkata police arrested two Bangladeshi nationals for allegedly using a drone to capture photographs of the Victoria Memorial Hall and its surrounding areas without any permission from the concerned authorities, as confirmed by police on Friday.

They have been identified as residents of Rajshahi in Bangladesh after a complaint was filed at the Hastings Police Station by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), in charge of the museum security.

The accused were allegedly caught using the drone fitted with cameras from the Victoria Memorial's north gate.

The duo have been sent to police custody untill August 23.

The police further said, “They have violated the Aircraft Act. Flying drones in and around the Victoria Memorial Hall is prohibited as it is a no-drone zone and also falls in the defense area. To operate any such unmanned aerial vehicle one needs to get special permission. We are talking to them."

The Victoria Memorial Hall, a magnificent makrana marble edifice built between 1906-1921 by Lord Curzon in memory of Queen Victoria, is a museum under the Union Ministry of Culture, in Kolkata, West Bengal.