In an attempt to introduce some levity during India’s coronavirus lockdown, the Kerala Police has tweeted amusing footage from its recent drone surveillance efforts to keep people indoors.
Set to audio of cricket commentary from Ravi Shastri's Tracer Bullet Challenge from 2016, the video montage shows people across Kerala running for cover as soon as they spot the drone. In a poor effort to avoid aerial detection, some try to cover their faces, others scatter into bylanes, and one man even tries to outrun the drone and vault over a wall.
The police had earlier shared another montage, this time set to Malayalam film dialogues, of people scrambling across paddy fields.
On 6 April, the Kerala Police announced that it would use drones to help officers monitor people violating lockdown regulations.
The drones have been fitted with flashing lights and sirens and technology that allows the police to issue instructions over speakers fitted into them. They can also take photographs at a close range, reported The Telegraph. According to Additional Director-General of Police Manoj Abraham, this enables officers to keep an eye on areas that are difficult to access as well as practise social distancing.
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