Meerut, July 22 -- Rumours of drone sightings have led to panic in several areas of Moradabad district. Despite police efforts to dispel them, the rumours also led to attacks on innocent individuals mistaken for petty criminals. The frenzy began about ten days ago when sightings of mysterious "shiny objects" in the night sky were reported in rural and urban areas such as Kanth, Chhajlet, Dilari, Thakurdwara, and Kundarki. Social media only gave wind to the false claims, with videos of colourful objects flying purportedly in the skies of Samandpur, Akbarpur Sihali, and Sarai Khajur flooding the platforms. In Mundhapande, Abbas, a pick-up driver, was brutally attacked on Sunday by a mob that mistook him for a thief. Police arrested four individuals on charges of disturbing the peace. A similar incident occurred in Pakbara's Eidgah neighbourhood, where a man, later found to be intoxicated, was beaten by a group that escaped before police arrived. Durgpal Singh, the chairman of Moradabad Sugarcane Committee in Hirapur, recounted his own experience: "On Saturday night, I saw two drones flying in the sky. They disappeared after a few minutes." His account added fuel to the growing unease, as residents in areas such as Linepar, Dhakka, and Kundanpur reported similar sightings, with videos circulating in Ekta Colony and Shahpur. The fear has led to nightly vigils, with villagers across Moradabad arming themselves with sticks and batons to patrol their neighbourhoods. In Pakbara's Bagadpur Madyyo village, rumours of suspicious individuals late Saturday night prompted a frantic search, though police found no evidence of wrongdoing. Station house officer Vinod Kumar, who led the response, stated, "We searched the area extensively, and even checked the fields, but found nothing. These are rumours causing panic." Manoj Kumar, the in-charge of Dilari police station, also appealed to locals not to pay heed to such rumours. "These claims are baseless and causing harm," he said. In Thakurdwara, inspector Jaspreet Singh Gwal said, "The police were troubled all night dealing with these rumours."...