The Santacruz police arrested a 27-year-old man on August 29 for allegedly trespassing into a highly restricted area of Pawan Hans at Juhu Airport. The man, identified as Chandrapal Dhurve, is a resident of Dindori district in Madhya Pradesh and was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when he entered the premises.
According to police, Dhurve allegedly climbed over a closed gate where no security guard was posted, allowing him to enter the airport. At around 12:15 pm, Maharashtra Security Force guard Pramod Sarvarkar, 52, spotted him walking along an internal road towards the Bombay Flying Club's operational base and training area.
Sarvarkar alerted chief security guard Sagar Halwankar after another guard, Somnath Khedkar, reported seeing an unidentified person walking along the main road towards the Bombay Flying Club. Security personnel then took Dhurve to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, where Sarvarkar and Halwankar apprehended him.
Dhurve was later taken to the main gate and questioned about his presence inside the restricted premises, but he allegedly failed to provide a valid explanation. Sarvarkar stated in his complaint, “After questioning him about why he had entered the airport, he did not respond. He was then handed over to the Santacruz police to ascertain his motive for trespassing.”
The security officials informed their senior security officer and subsequently handed Dhurve over to the Santacruz police.
The police booked Dhurve under Section 329(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal trespass. Police are investigating how he entered the secured area, his antecedents, and the purpose of his visit to Mumbai.