Drone spotted over explosives company airstrip in Nagpur; probe on

Authorities launched an investigation after an unidentified drone was spotted over the airstrip of Nagpur-based defence manufacturer Solar Industries. Police filed an FIR, searched nearby villages, and involved intelligence agencies, but no leads have emerged so far

Nagpur: An unidentified drone has been spotted flying over the airstrip of Nagpur-based Solar Industries, manufacturer of defence-related products, prompting authorities to launch an investigation, officials said on Tuesday.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged in this connection against an unidentified person at Kondhali police station and a probe is on into it, Superintendent of Police Dr Harssh Poddar said.

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The drone was spotted flying over the company’s airstrip located on Nagpur-Amravati road, 40 km from here, at around 7.15 pm on December 9. Due to the darkness, its exact size could not be determined, an official from Kondhali police station said.

Security staff of the Solar Group noticed only blinking lights in the sky. They informed senior security officials, who then alerted the Kondhali police, he said.

An immediate probe was ordered. Police teams searched nearby villages to determine whether the drone had been launched for a wedding or private function and had inadvertently strayed off course, the official said.

The police conducted searches in Malkapur, Shiva, and Sawanga villages, but no information about the drone has been found yet, he said.

Police teams were also stationed in these villages for two days, but their efforts did not yield any results.

A team from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was also probing the incident, a senior official said.

Solar Industries makes indigenous weaponised drones (hexacopters), military explosives, rocket integration systems, loitering munitions, anti-drone missiles, bombs and warheads for the armed forces.