AGRA: The airspace of Taj Mahal was breached on Thursday morning when a drone was sighted hovering over the monument twice at 7.40am and then again half an hour later. This was the second such incident in the past 24 hours.On Wednesday, a drone was spotted by security personnel around 11 am and then again at 4.30pm. Before the security agencies could track it, the drone flew away. It was flying at a height of over a kilometre.Ankit Namdev, conservation assistant of ASI at Taj Mahal, informed the circle officer (Taj security) about the incident, following which, a case was registered against unidentified persons under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC. The owner of the drone has not been identified so far.Security agency officials admitted that this was a challenge for them as it happened four times within 24 hours, but expressed confidence that they’ll track down the drone’s owner soon.The use of drones is strictly prohibited in and around Taj.In February 2017, the district administration of Agra had issued an order in this regard. The onus was placed on owners of hotels near Taj and they were asked to tell tourists, particularly foreigners, not to fly drones in the prohibited area. Despite the order, 25 incidents of drones being flown around the Taj Mahal have been reported in the past two years.In October last year, a Chinese tourist breached the security at the Taj Mahal and took his drone inside the premises before the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel manning the internal security of the heritage monument stopped him from flying it when he reached the Royal Gate of the Taj. He told CISF that he was not able to read instructions written in Hindi and English and unintentionally took the drone inside the monument.In August last year, an Israeli tourist staying at a hotel south of the monument flew a drone. The police seized the drone and allowed the tourist to go after a written apology.

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