Dev Deepawali 2024: Varanasi has been declared a no-fly zone ahead of the Dev Deepawali festival on November 15, police said today (November 13). According to an order issued by Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shivasimpi Channappa, the restriction under the pre-existing section 163 of the BNSS came into force from midnight of November 12. It will be in effect until midnight on November 16. .

The directive states that due to the expected influx of thousands of Dev Deepawali devotees, local residents and various personalities, it is essential to ensure robust security and maintain law and order.

“To manage the crowd and the movements of personalities, the use of drones, kites, balloons, remote-controlled ULMs and paragliders is strictly prohibited without prior authorization. This precautionary measure has been implemented to mitigate potential security risks related to such aerial objects,” the directive states.

Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) (power to issue order in case of emergency of nuisance or apprehended danger) has replaced Section 144 of the erstwhile CrPC.