British National Detained For Entering Puri Srimandir, Assaulting Cops

Puri: Odisha Police have detained a British national for unlawfully entering the historic Jagannath Temple in Puri and reportedly assaulting police officers stationed inside the sacred premises. The detained individual has been identified as Thomas Craig Sheldon, hailing from Wandsworth, located in south London.

The incident occurred on Saturday when Sheldon purportedly breached the entry protocols of the 12th-century shrine. Upon being confronted by police personnel and instructed to leave as non-Hindus are prohibited from entering, Sheldon reportedly assaulted the officers.

Prasant Kumar Sahu, the City Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Puri, confirmed the detainment, stating that further investigations are underway.

This incident unfolded merely a week following another similar incident involving a Polish woman who was detained and subsequently released on March 23 after entering the temple grounds. Prior to that, several Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended on March 3 for unauthorized entry into the temple, only to be later released.