Jubilee Hills Bypoll: One Drone Destroyed, Two Pilots Assaulted
Witnesses separately alleged that youths attempted to strike at a low-flying drone with stones and sticks
HYDERABAD: Drone operators monitoring the bypoll came under attack in Rahmathnagar, officials said. According to sources, one drone was destroyed and two pilots assaulted. The drones were part of a 139-unit aerial grid for real-time observation across all polling stations. The attackers are yet to be identified.
According to an official, the attackers allegedly threatened the drone pilots to erase footage said to contain evidence of cash distribution. “Around 300 violations have been reported through the drones, mostly related to money being handed out,” the official said. “Miscreants threatened the pilots. One drone was completely damaged.”
Witnesses separately alleged that youths attempted to strike at a low-flying drone with stones and sticks. The surveillance operation, the first of its kind in the country, was launched from Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Stadium in Yousufguda on Monday. Each drone was flown under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s limits, flying below one hundred feet and covering only the notified zone. A live feed was relayed to a central command room linking the Election Commission, police, and civic officials.
Hanuma Vyuh Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based startup, coordinated the deployment. Researchers from TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad provided the largest drone. Their model can carry 2 kg, fly for 40 minutes, and transmit over 10 kilometres.
