Puri, Jul 16: Two tourists have been detained by the Singhadwar Police for allegedly flying drones over the Jagannath Temple in Puri, a prohibited and highly sensitive zone, ahead of the annual Rath Yatra.

The detained individuals have been identified as Manikanta Swamy from Andhra Pradesh and Shubham Sharma from Delhi. Police seized two drones from their possession during the operation.

According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday when the area around the Singhadwar was bustling with preparations for the upcoming Rath Yatra. Security personnel noticed a drone flying over the Jagannath Temple and immediately launched a search operation.

A team from Singhadwar Police traced the drone operators to Kakudikhai Square, where the two tourists were intercepted. They were taken into custody, and both drones were confiscated.

Police have registered a case suo motu and are questioning the two individuals to determine the purpose behind flying the drones in the restricted airspace.

The incident has raised serious concerns over security arrangements at the Jagannath Temple, especially with the Rath Yatra scheduled to take place on Thursday. Despite the deployment of senior IPS officers and extensive security measures in and around the temple premises, the ability of tourists to operate drones over one of the country's most sensitive religious sites has prompted questions about surveillance and enforcement of no-fly restrictions.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the matter.