Drone Over Puri Jagannath Temple Sparks Security Scare; Odisha Govt Warns Of Strict Action

Puri: An investigation was launched by the police after a drone was spotted over Shree Jagannath temple in Puri in the early hours of Sunday, even as Odisha government warned of stringent action against those involved in the security breach.

The drone was sighted hovering over the 12th century shrine around 4.10 am and remained in the no-flying zone for nearly 30 minutes, raising significant security concerns.

The incident is being thoroughly investigated and separate teams have been formed for the purpose, a senior police officer said.

Reacting sharply to the incident, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that flying a drone over the temple is both illegal and unacceptable. Strict legal action will be taken against the individual responsible for this security breach, he said.

Stating that the Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) has formed teams and started an investigation into the incident, the Minister expressed the hope that the person involved will be identified and the drone will be seized soon.

To prevent recurrence of such incidents, the state government is considering deploying police personnel on duty around the clock at the four watchtowers surrounding the temple complex.

It is suspected that a vlogger might have flown the drone above the temple. However, the possibility of malicious intent cannot be ruled out, the Minister said.