KTR, two others booked for unauthorised drone flying

Hyderabad, Aug  (IANS) A police case has been filed against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao and two other leaders of the party for unauthorised drone flying.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Rama Rao and former MLAs Balka Suman and Gandra Venkataramna Reddy in connection with the incident during their visit to the Medigadda Barrage, a part of the Kaleshwaram project, on July 26.

The FIR was registered at Mahadevpur police station of Jayashankar Bhupalapally district on July 29 but the same came to light on Tuesday (August 6).

According to the police, the BRS leaders operated a drone without permission at the Medigadda (Laxmi) Barrage in Ambatpally village between 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Vali Shaik, an Assistant Executive Engineer at Medigadda, lodged a complaint with the police on July 29. The complainant told police that the BRS leaders visited the barrage and operated a drone camera without obtaining the necessary permissions. The officer told police that as Medigadda Barrage is part of a crucial project, unauthorised drone activity could pose a security threat.

The Assistant Executive Engineer lodged the complaint with the police after footage of the drone flying surfaced on social media.

Rama Rao and two former MLAs were booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant. Flying drones is prohibited at key installations and the action of the BRS leaders violated the order.

Police registered the FIR under Section 223 (b) of the BNS, read with Section 3(5) (joint criminal liability when two or more individuals act with a common intention).

After a visit to Medigadda barrage, Rama Rao had said he suspected Congress conspiracy behind the sinking of piers in October 2023. He said the barrage, which could withstand 28 lakh cusecs of flood water for several years, sank just before Assembly elections, and alleged that Congress tried to show Kaleshwaram as a failure but failed in its attempt.