Unidentified drone spotted hovering over Puri Jagannath Temple, sparks security concerns

A drone was spotted flying over the restricted airspace around the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the early hours of Sunday, sparking concerns of a breach of security. As per reports, at about 4:10 am, a drone approached the Srimandir from Dolamandap Sahi and initially circled around the temple premises before moving along the Meghanada Pacheri, the temple's outer boundary wall.

The unauthorised drone even hovered over the Jagannath Temple’s Dadhinauti and circled above the Neelachakra. Sources also reported spotting the drone passing over the northern gate area, eventually ascending from Sridanda and flying back into the area from where it emerged.

As per the last reports, authorities have yet to identify the person operating the drone, and the circumstances under which it managed to enter the restricted airspace of the temple. However, no comments could be obtained from them in this regard.

“A team of the Puri Police Department is actively investigating leads to identify the person flying the drone over the temple. Legal action will be taken soon enough,” assured Puri SP.

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The incident comes at a time when tourist destinations like Puri along with several parts of the state are being beefed up with heightened security measures ahead of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas scheduled to take place from the 8th to the 10th of January in Bhubaneswar.

To ensure a smooth and memorable experience for the visiting tourists, a dedicated tactical unit of the special forces arrived in Bhubaneswar recently. Armed with state-of-the-art gear and defenses, the unit will take charge of strategic locations and key tourist sites.

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Meanwhile, the vigil across the state has also been bolstered amid a threat from Khalistani terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to disrupt the upcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.