Puri: A man from Rajasthan was arrested by Singhadwar Police for allegedly entering the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri by posing as an Indian Air Force officer using a fake uniform and forged identity card.

The accused has been identified as Bhupendra Kumar Purohit, a resident of Chanchori village in Rajasthan.

According to police, Purohit arrived in Puri on Saturday afternoon and checked into a hotel near Marichikote Chhak. Early Sunday morning, he allegedly wore a military-style uniform fitted with Indian Air Force badges and carried a forged Air Force identity card. Claiming to be an Air Force officer, he reportedly deceived security personnel and gained entry into the Jagannath Temple premises.

However, members of the enforcement squad of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration became suspicious and detained him inside the temple. He was later handed over to the Singhadwar police for questioning.

During the investigation, police found that the accused had allegedly prepared the fake uniform, Air Force insignia and duplicate identity card to mislead police and the public and to gain unrestricted access to the temple.

Police seized several items from his possession, including a military uniform, a forged Indian Air Force identity card, a steel name plate bearing the Air Force logo, collar badges, Ashoka insignia, a navy-blue cotton belt with an Air Force monogram, an acrylic ribbon strip plate and an embroidered pilot badge.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway to determine whether the accused had any other motive behind entering the temple under a false identity.