A uniformed man, believed to be a police personnel, was reportedly spotted entering the Puri Gundicha Temple on a motorcycle. Matters came to light after a video of the alleged incident went viral on social media platforms.
The video purportedly shows the man in uniform who is riding a bike calling out someone to open the doors of the temple. Later someone appears to open the doors from the inside of the shrine premises. The man could later be seen entering the temple on the bike.
So far, neither the concerned cop, police administration nor has the temple management are yet to comment anything regarding the incident.
The exact time, date, and circumstances that made the suspected policeman take his motorcycle into the temple however remain unclear.
Sources said the policeman was probably parking his bike inside the temple premises to ensure full-proof security of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, priests, intellectuals and even the citizens have condemned the questionable act by the police which comes at a time when there is already heightened scrutiny of devotees before entering into the temple. Only those fully vaccinated are allowed entry into the temple.
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Soon after the telecast of the video, the administrator (development) of Puri Shree Jagannath Temple Administration said that the concerned cop might be a personnel of the Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) as policemen are not generally deployed at the Gundicha Temple.
The administrator informed that the matter will be strictly inspected and strong action will be taken against the concerned cop after probe.
As per reports, the pilgrim town of Puri reports 8 to 10 bike theft cases on a daily basis across the city, from Marichikote market or from the area around the Srimandir with people often bringing allegations of lifting of their vehicles. But many times, they accuse police of inadequate action to solve the perennial problem.
On several occasions, it has been observed that even though Sri Gundicha Temple does not receive footfall like the Srimandir, several incidents in the past had exposed glaring loopholes in the security and protection cover in place at the shrine.