British National Detained For Entering Jagannath Temple In Puri, Assaulting Cops

The foreign tourist, identified as Thomas Craig Sheldon from Wandsworth in south London, unauthorisedly entered the 12th-century shrine in Puri on Saturday.

Shreemandira Parikrama Prakalpa at Shree Jagannatha Temple ahead of its inauguration in Puri.

Source : PTI

Odisha Police on Sunday detained a British national for entering the Jagannath Temple in Puri and assaulting the police personnel deployed inside the shrine, a police officer said.

The foreign tourist, identified as Thomas Craig Sheldon from Wandsworth in south London, unauthorisedly entered the 12th-century shrine in Puri on Saturday, according to news agency PTI.

Eyewitnesses said that the British national blended in with hundreds of devotees, partially covering his face and evaded the law enforcement officers. However, some officers noticed him allegedly abusing visitors and he was escorted out, according to a report in New Arena India.

When the police personnel stopped him and asked him to leave the temple premises as non-Hindus are not allowed entry inside the temple, Thomas Craig allegedly assaulted the cops.

"We have detained the foreign tourist and further investigation is going on," Prasant Kumar Sahu, City DSP, Puri told PTI.

The incident occurred few days after a Polish woman was detained and later released for entering the Jagannath Temple on March 23. Prior to that, a few Bangladeshi nationals had been caught while entering the temple on March 3 and later released.