Puri: A devotee from Kolkata was on Wednesday caught allegedly recording visuals inside Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri, using a hidden camera embedded in his spectacles.
The accused, Arup Ray (31), was apprehended near Bhitara Katha by temple security personnel, who became suspicious on noticing the unusual glasses, as he attempted to have darshan of the sibling deity from close quarters. He was later handed over to Singhadwara police for further investigation.
“The man had come to Puri from Kolkata with his family. His spectacle and mobile phone have been seized for verification. A case has also been registered against him under Section 30 of Shree Jagannath Temple Act,” Puri SP Prateek Singh told the media.
There has been a series of such incidents in the recent past despite a ban on photography and videography inside the shrine with signboards warning the same. The Odisha government is even contemplating amending the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, to make provision of taking spy cameras and taking pictures or video inside the 12th-century shrine in Puri as a cognizable offence with provision of punishment.
On August 4, a man from Gujarat was apprehended by Singhadhwar police and Jagannath Temple Police personnel around 5:30 pm at kirtana chakada inside the temple for using a hidden camera embedded in his spectacles. This came just six days after a local resident was detained for attempting to film inside the temple using a camera concealed in his spectacles.