Drone Sightings Trigger Panic and Night Patrols in Moradabad Village

Jul, 20 2025

Nighttime Drone Sightings Shake Moradabad Village

Life in Chhajlat, a quiet spot in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, has been turned upside down. Since July 18, 2025, villagers have been on high alert, with many too uneasy to sleep through the night. The reason? Unfamiliar blinking lights darting across the sky, unmistakably belonging to drones hovering low over their rooftops. For a community unaccustomed to such technology, these nightly appearances have stirred rumors and real fear, as people suspect the drones could be part of planned burglaries.

Local homes now feel more like guarded posts than safe havens. Families have joined together to form night patrol squads, armed with sticks, flashlights, and, sometimes, even licensed guns. After one of the first notable drone appearances in mid-July, panic set in so quickly that several villagers fired into the air. The boom of gunshots echoed across the fields, announcing that locals wouldn’t take any risk lightly. Videos shot on mobile phones found their way across WhatsApp groups, feeding anxiety and a collective sense of emergency. The images, showing bright lights zig-zagging in the night sky, left no room for doubt: something strange was going on.

Police Response and Community Doubts

Superintendent Kunwar Akash Singh and Additional SP Ran Vijay Singh quickly took charge of the situation, promising answers. Their investigation revealed an unsettling reality—commercial drones, which can be purchased with a few clicks, were likely in play. Police suspect local youths, excited by the gadgets and the thrill of nighttime mischief, might be responsible. If true, it paints a picture not of organized crime, but of reckless curiosity creating chaos. Still, villagers aren’t convinced that the threat is harmless. To them, these drones could be scouting for entry points and vulnerable houses under the cover of darkness.

With memories of past thefts still fresh for some families, the fear feels real. Police officers have stepped up their presence, expanding patrols beyond Chhajlat to neighboring areas like Rampur, Amroha, and Sambhal. The sudden surge in police jeeps and foot patrols is impossible to miss, but for the villagers who now sleep with one eye open, it’s not quite enough to bring back the sense of security they once had.

Authorities have tried to calm nerves, reminding residents that owning and flying drones doesn’t automatically mean criminal intent, but they’re not taking any chances. As the police continue their probe, villagers have vowed to keep up their nightly vigils. The uneasy partnership between community patrols and official watch keeps Moradabad’s rural corners on edge, waiting to see whether these drones really signal crime or misguided adventure. One thing’s clear: in Chhajlat, the tension in the air is almost as thick as the humid July night, and the whir of a distant drone can still send a jolt down anyone’s spine.