Are mysterious drones really flying over West Bengal? Claims by locals spark concern

After drones were allegedly spotted in Kolkata sky earlier this week, locals reported seeing mysterious flying objects in several coastal areas in South 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night. Locals claimed mysterious lights flickering in the sky, believing these could have been drones.

 

Many local residents captured footage of the moving lights on their mobile phones. The lights were also spotted near the Kapil Muni Temple where Gangasagar Mela is held every year.

 

In the aftermath of the India Pakistan military tension where both countries launched drone attacks on each other, these sightings sparked concern among residents, who perceived the moving lights as potential drone attacks.

 

The Sundarbans Police launched an investigation into the mysterious lights and found they were likely low-flying aircraft. Reportedly, multiple aircraft were scheduled to land at the Kolkata airport last night.

 

However, due to adverse weather conditions, air traffic congestion occurred. As a result, several planes were seen circling at low altitude over the coastal skies of the Sundarbans. From a distance, these planes closely resembled drones.

 

On Monday night earlier this week, seven drones were reportedly seen over Kolkata’s Hastings area, housing sensitive landmarks and no-flying red zones such as the Second Hooghly Bridge, Victoria Memorial, and Fort William, the Eastern Command headquarters of the Indian Army. Four of the drones then moved toward the Maidan near Victoria Memorial and circled around a nearby high-rise.

 

Five drones later flew east toward Park Circus, while two headed north toward North Kolkata. The Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar was notified, prompting alerts across various police stations in the city.

 

A Special Task Force (STF) and the detective department of Kolkata Police are currently investigating the incident, looking into the possibility that the drone activity was linked to espionage.

 

Meanwhile, the defence ministry has urged the media to refrain from any speculation, saying that “efforts are underway ascertain the veracity of this event”. According to PTI, the Centre has also sought a report from the West Bengal government over the incident.

 

On May 11, residents of Durgapur-Barojdihi village in Murshidabad’s Samserganj were gripped by fear after a drone was found lying in an open field. With visuals and information about drone attacks during the recent India-Pakistan military tension heavy in their mind, the incident sparked panic in the border village near Bangladesh.

However, the South Bengal Frontier of the BSF later confirmed that the drone was a civilian model typically used by photographers for event coverage. It has a limited flight range of 400 to 500 metres, can stay airborne for 15–20 minutes, and features a built-in 4K camera. It is not capable of carrying any payload.

India