Yesterday me and Neil were to sail my boat in the morning.... Somehow couldnt make it and eventually we decided to sail it in the evening at 4.00 pm at our usual lake.I did not foresee the trouble that you arise from the crowd.
This lake is close by my home and is public. Used by Municipal corporation for the paddle boating recreation. People from near by slums also wash clothes here and so on....

Huge crowd gathered around to see the boat in action. Someone rang up the police and eventually two police men arrived on the scene to disperse the crowd. They blamed me for creating such a huge crowd and threated to arrest and confiscate my equipment.
They argued that had anyone slipped into the lake I would be at fault. Although I handled the situation the usual way................

My question: 1) Is it against the law to sail a boat at public lake?

2) Is the safety of the other people around my responsibility?

unless your boat killed/injured a person at a public location, the safety of the people is the responsibilty of the authorities and the people themselves... by no means are you responsible for some bumbling kid falling in the water, because you were sailing your boat nearby.

u pay taxes ..then the lake is urs  ...dont bother

The safety of the people surrounding us is on them. If people slip into the lake its because of their curiosity and not ours there is no grounds for the police to make any statements regarding this according to me the police wanted things to go the "Usual way" after all dry day was coming close and they wanted to have some fun before it and if someone does slip there is a huge crowd to save him and if no one does then i know how to swim and can save such a idiotic person. They basically knew that someone with such costly equipment can be told that they can take away all of it and then it will have to go the "Usual way", they just needed grounds for this.  

Its really upsetting that the police who are supposed to save the innocent from bad things happening to them are instead harrasing the innocent itself . For this i hate them and this is not the first instance i have seen this happening. they are really idiotic and i didnt understand the logic behind their rule. If they dont want people slipping into the lake put a board that says something which makes peole stay away from getting into a position due to which they might slip into the lake. What if someone fishing slipped into the lake whose responsibilty is that?

what if the cop fell in the lake?

RIP 

Come on guys dont joke around this is a serious matter.

yeah sorry.. my bad... no but seriously, there's nothing illegal about sailing an RC boat! Between cops and customs, the govt. is hell bent on ruining this hobby!

I know about a veteran hobbiest, who has left the hobby flying,sailing and adopted to RC cars..for the reason depicted above.

Flying is serious one may get beating and confiscation for the same

Now your Case- you cannot controll cloud,in India unlike abroad we are densely populated and indisciplined, aboard people hardly interfear but if you are violating their safety or previously then you may face confiscations and jail litigation.

Solution: you can intimate local police about this with a letter of intimation and at the most Educate people and bystanders or shift to RC cars 

next time, you guys should record what happens... that's what smartphones are for right?? whip it out and hold it casually... make sure you get their name tags! then you can really get back at them....

Sorry.
In India some people are very curious that they neglect themselves. The cop must have thought that if any one fall in to the lake,.. risky and silly cases. Thats why they told you indirectly telling to the people. It is not illegal sailing rc boat in the lake. Rather than tackling this, sail at mornings.  

Sorry if its wrong.....

I think thats what shreekant sir has decided.

In the absence of any clear Law on this, it is best to handle the situation tactfully.

We have stopped flying in the evenings for the same reason, and though there is a crowd even early morning, it is manageable

Does law have any such provision to arrest someone on grounds mentioned above. Not sure of this.
One thing is for sure...If I have taken some people as my crew then their safety is my responsibility.

Also a different arguement.....Am I to be blamed if there is a law and order situation arising out of the uninvited crowd... If yes then this also as to be kept in mind... this would hold good for all the other forms of RC as well( Planes and Cars)

Shreekant

i think you better consult it with legal practitioner, before situation get serious..    they are there to help you.. with some bucks.. 

Pulling crowd without prior informing to the local Administrative office is offence. The peculiarity of our police is they will catch you if avoided them and will avoid u if we approach them. If you are serious contact the higher authority well before you plan to sail and convince him, he will assist you by providing couple of policemen to protect law and order situation.

This is common at crowded places.

Solution- Sailing at mornings/uncrowded places

Answer to both your Qns from legal point of view:-
1.public place is property under local body admin. so Chk the rules ( on notice board) first.
There are list of activities specified for parks, lakes, gardens. If you violate them then 'certainly it's an offence',public property doesn't mean every bodies own it.

2 safety of other people at public places is Certainly your responsibility if any of your act would directly harm them physically,even indirectly subject to Law will take its own course.