Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Wednesday constituted a committee to probe a serious security breach in which four men managed to gain unauthorised access to the 12th century shrine in Odisha’s Puri by scaling its Meghanada Pacheri or the outer boundary wall.
The committee, headed by SJTA chief administrator Arabind Padhee, includes the OSD security, sanitation officer, and the civil engineer in charge of temple infrastructure. It has been asked to submit the inquiry report at the earliest, said Puri Collector Chanchal Rana.
He further stated that orders have been issued to clear the garbage mounds on two sides of Shree Jagannath Temple. “This is certainly a matter of concern and we also request people not to commit such a mistake again because the shrine is a sensitive area. Efforts are on to identify the four persons,” he told TNIE.
A video of the incident, in which the four intruders can be seen using a large pile of garbage adjoining the Meghanada Pacheri (southern wall) to enter the temple premise on Tuesday during Niladri Bije of the Lords, has raised questions on effectiveness of the Puri police’s surveillance system.
The district administration has also sought an explanation from the Puri Municipality regarding the garbage pile and the delay in clearing it.
