The Ettumanur police here on Monday took a 37-year-old man into custody for operating a drone fitted with camera over the Sri Mahadevar temple, Ettumanur.
The accused was identified as Thomas, a resident of Mangarankalingu, near here. The incident took place around 8 a.m. The temple staff noticed a drone hovering over the temple. On an alert, a police team rushed to the spot and took the accused into custody.
Preliminary investigations suggested that Mr. Thomas, who is settled in the United Kingdom, attempted to capture the footage of the temple as well as its premises for his YouTube Channel. During interrogation, he told the police that he had been unaware of the restrictions on flying drones over the temple.
“The Travancore Devaswom Board, which owns the temple, has declared the historic temple and its premises a no fly zone. The person, however, was apparently unaware of this regulation. He, however, has been booked for criminal trespass based on a complaint by the temple authority,” said an officer.
