Puri police have stepped up security measures around the Shree Jagannath Temple with a special night-time checking operation aimed at identifying suspicious individuals and preventing criminal activities in the temple city.
The operation, conducted near Srimandir on Thursday, involved the use of facial recognition technology and fingerprint verification to screen people whose movements appeared suspicious. Police said the initiative is intended to strengthen preventive policing and improve the safety of devotees and tourists visiting Puri.
Facial Recognition Technology Used For Verification
During the checking drive, police screened individuals found staying at particular locations for extended periods or moving suspiciously around shops, markets, crowded areas and other public places near Srimandir.
Officials used facial recognition and fingerprint verification systems to establish the identities of those being checked. Their details could then be compared with records available in the national criminal database to determine whether they had any known criminal antecedents.
Puri SP Prateek Singh said the technology would help law enforcement agencies identify individuals with criminal backgrounds and establish whether people coming from other cities or states had previous involvement in criminal activities.
Crackdown On Anti-Social Elements
The security operation was not limited to identifying known offenders. Police also monitored the movement of suspected anti-social elements in and around the temple area as part of a broader preventive policing strategy.
The temple vicinity attracts large numbers of devotees, tourists and visitors, particularly during busy periods. The presence of crowded markets and public spaces can also create opportunities for offences such as theft, snatching and pickpocketing.
By combining technological screening with physical surveillance, police aim to identify potential threats before any offence takes place.
Security To Be Intensified In Puri
Police officials indicated that technology-based verification and other physical checking measures will continue around Srimandir and other sensitive and crowded locations across Puri.
The use of facial recognition and fingerprint technology is expected to strengthen the ability of police personnel to identify suspicious individuals quickly while maintaining surveillance in areas frequented by devotees and tourists.
The latest initiative forms part of Puri police’s wider efforts to strengthen law and order and create a safer environment around one of Odisha’s most important religious and tourist destinations.
