China-Made Drone Found Inside High-Security Bhopal Central Jail, Probe Launched

A China-made drone was discovered inside the high-security Bhopal Central Jail, raising security concerns and prompting a probe, officials said on Thursday (9 January). 

The black drone, weighing 30-40 grams and fully charged, was spotted by a prison guard near the B-block building on Wednesday afternoon, according to jail superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bangre.

While the origin of the drone remains unclear, initial investigations suggest it could belong to children playing near the jail premises.

Bangre noted that no one witnessed the drone landing inside the jail. The unmanned device has been handed over to the Gandhi Nagar police for further investigation.

The Bhopal Central Jail spread over 151 acres, houses 3,600 inmates—exceeding its capacity of 2,600. 

Among the prisoners are 69 individuals associated with high-risk groups, including 32 linked to the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), confined to a high-security zone.

This incident revives concerns about the jail's security. In 2016, the facility faced a major breach when eight SIMI undertrials killed a prison guard and escaped, only to be neutralised later in a police encounter.

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