A 66-year-old pilgrim from Gujarat was detained on Sunday evening after he attempted to enter the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district wearing smartglasses equipped with hidden cameras, police said.
The man, identified as Surendra Shah, was visiting the temple with his wife, sister, and other family members when security staff noticed a glare from his glasses at the entrance and stopped him.
Temple personnel, who inspected the glasses, found that they contained concealed cameras, a violation of the temple’s strict prohibition on recording devices.
Police registered a case against Shah under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (disobedience to lawful orders of public servants). He was served a notice to appear for questioning and allowed to return to his native place in Gujarat with his family.
While officers said there appeared to be no malicious intent at this stage, a detailed probe is underway.
Last month, hundreds of devotees thronged the famous shrine to witness the Maha Kumbhabhishekam, a grand consecration held after 270 years.
Along with the Kumbhabhishekam, the reinstallation of the 300-year-old idol of Vishwaksena and the ‘Ashtabandha Kalasam’ ceremony at the Thiruvambadi Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, located within the complex, were also performed.