Red and green 'drones' scare Muzaffarnagar residents, they turn out to be LED-lit pigeons at night

Muzaffarnagar (UP): Two persons were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly using pigeons strapped with red and green lights to spread false rumours of drone sightings in the district, a senior official said.

Panic had gripped several villages across western Uttar Pradesh in recent days due to reports of drone sightings and many residents were keeping night vigil out of fear for their safety, according to police.

Two individuals, identified as Shoeb and Sakib, were arrested after the police investigated complaints from villagers about mysterious flying objects with lights in the night sky that they suspected to be drones, they said.

"During the investigation, the police recovered two pigeons, a cage, and red and green LED lights from the accused. They confessed to tying the lights to the pigeons’ legs and releasing them at night so that the people assumed that they were seeing drones from a distance," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjay Kumar said.

The gang was operating in Jatwara village under Kakroli police station limits, the SSP said.

An FIR has been lodged against them under the relevant section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

SSP Kumar announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for the police team involved in cracking the case.