Puri: In a major breach of security, four persons allegedly entered Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri by scaling the Meghanada Pacheri, the shrine’s outer boundary wall.
The incident, which took place despite elaborate security arrangements in place during and after the annual Rath Yatra and Niladri Bije rituals, triggered widespread alarm.
Devotees and officials have expressed shock after coming across visuals of four youths climbing the southern gate wall of the 12th century shrine and entering the inner complex. Devotees have raised questions over the incident and sought to know as to how such serious lapse could occur under tight surveillance.
While the exact motive of the youths still remained unclear, an investigation into the incident is currently in progress. The incident, which took place despite warnings by intelligence agencies about the possibility of the shrine being on the radar of terrorist outfits, points to serious gaps in security measures and surveillance.
Describing the incident as a serious security breach, renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik said it is surprising that despite the huge deployment of security forces during Rath Yatra, no one spotted them climbing the wall and entering the premises. Amid terror threat, such a lapse has raised serious questions, he said.
Devotees have sought accountability and urgent reinforcement of security protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.
