Odisha Police have detained two individuals for illegally flying a drone over the sacred Jagannath Temple in Puri, prompting a security investigation and highlighting the enforcement of no-fly zones.
Odisha Police on Wednesday said that they detained two individuals for allegedly flying a drone over the Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is not allowed.
Authorities acted after the drone was spotted hovering above the 12th-century shrine on Wednesday afternoon. The two persons reportedly operated the devices from the rooftop of a building in Mati Mandap Sahi, located about 500 metres from the temple, the police said.
According to police, some servitors spotted the drones flying over the Jagannath temple while tying new flags atop the shrine and informed the police.
The police used their own drone system and identified the two individuals, they said
The detained persons came from the Hooghly district of West Bengal, a police officer said.
"We have detained two persons and registered a case against them under the Aircraft Act at Singhdwar police station," Puri SP Prateek Singh told media persons in Puri.
The drone, along with its remote control, battery and connected mobile phone, was seized, Singh said, adding, "We will send the electronic goods to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examination."
Further investigation related to the incident is in progress, the SP said.