Bhubaneswar, 5 August (H.S.): In yet another alarming security breach at the revered Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, a youth from West Bengal was detained today for attempting to enter the premises with a hidden spy camera embedded in his spectacles. The incident occurred just hours after a similar case involving a visitor from Gujarat surfaced, raising serious concerns over surveillance and security protocols at the 12th-century shrine.
The individual, identified as Pratish Pal from Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, was intercepted by security personnel near the Paschima Dwara (West Gate) of the temple. His spectacles, which concealed a miniature camera, along with his mobile phone, have been seized for further investigation.
This back-to-back breach follows an incident on Monday, where Bipul Patel, a native of Gujarat, was caught attempting to enter the temple with camera-equipped glasses. Security personnel apprehended him near the Kirtana Chakada area after noticing suspicious behavior. Upon inspection, a hidden camera was found embedded in his eyewear. He was taken into custody for questioning.
These are not isolated incidents. Just a week ago, Abhijit Kar, a local devotee, was stopped for similar reasons. During interrogation, he confessed to recording visuals of the temple interiors and deities using a concealed camera in his spectacles. He was later released after the footage was deleted and a written undertaking was obtained.
The increasing frequency of such violations in a designated high-security zone has sparked widespread outrage among devotees and raised pressing questions about the effectiveness of existing surveillance and frisking mechanisms.
Despite clear signage prohibiting photography and the use of mobile phones inside the Srimandir, repeated attempts by individuals to flout these rules point to a growing challenge for the local administration. The misuse of advanced surveillance gadgets in religious places is now emerging as a critical security issue, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and technological upgrades in temple monitoring systems.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
