The Karnataka High Court has quashed an FIR filed by the Doddaballapura rural police against M/s New Space Research And Technologies Private Limited, a drone research company, after a lightweight drone landed in Palanayogahalli village. Justice M Nagaprasanna stated that the police cannot turn a mechanical event into a criminal offense without evidence of mens rea, or criminal intent. The incident occurred on January 29, following the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash, leading to heightened police vigilance. The police had received a complaint suspecting the drone to be a 'spy drone' due to its proximity to sensitive military installations. However, the court found no intentional wrongdoing by the company, noting that the drone had malfunctioned during routine testing and inadvertently crossed property lines. The court also highlighted the police's failure to provide an FIR copy to the company officials and mandated that all police stations must comply with transparency requirements in the future. The ruling underscores the need for clear evidence before criminal charges can be pursued.