Vijayawada: The ‘unidentified’ drone, that was spotted flying over the Jana Sena headquarters at Mangalagiri in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh two days ago, belonged to AP Fibernet. Police said the drone was part of a govt pilot project to study traffic management, sanitation, canals, and road conditions in the area.
Ravi Kumar, additional SP (law and order), said the study, which was conducted in Mangalagiri, used drones for surveys. “During one such survey, the drone inadvertently flew over the offices of Jana Sena and TDP, triggering concerns. There is nothing to worry about,” he said.
Guntur police deployed five special teams to investigate the appearance of the drone over the under-construction Jana Sena office in Mangalagiri. The incident was reported on Saturday at around 1:30 PM. Jana Sena leaders immediately informed the deputy CM’s office staff, who alerted the DGP’s office, and also informed the district collector and SP. The drone hovered over the building for about 20 minutes.
DGP Dwaraka Tirumala Rao dismissed allegations of lapses in handling of security issues by the police, and said cops immediately took up investigation when news about the drone spread. He said police took up the issue seriously as the incident was reported near the residence of deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan.
The incident follows another security scare for Pawan during his recent visit to Alluri Sitarama Raju district, where a man impersonating an IPS officer caused a commotion before being arrested. “There was no failure on our part in apprehending the individual. We are taking every aspect of the deputy chief minister’s security very seriously,” the DGP said.
