Kolkata, April 5 Three people have been arrested after a drone was spotted flying near the helicopter of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Malda district, an official said on Sunday.
The three are alleged to have been operating the drone to capture footage of the CM's election rally on Saturday, as Banerjee was about to board the helicopter for her next stop, Gazole, the official said.
"Three people were arrested in connection with a drone coming near the CM's helicopter during takeoff on Saturday, and they are being questioned. The matter is being taken seriously, given the security implications, and further investigation is underway," the official added.
The police are investigating whether the necessary permissions were obtained for flying the drone in the highly restricted area.
Some local TMC leaders said the arrested individuals were part of the party candidate's team.
One of the arrested, Noor Akhtar, said: "The drone was flown to take shots for uploading on the TMC social media page."