Puri, Jan. 23 (UNI) Puri Police have arrested Pratik Mishra of Baselisahi for allegedly masterminding a bomb threat against the Sri Jagannath Temple, the Grand Centre Market near the Srimandir, and Rajya Sabha MP Subhasis Khuntia.
The threat was uploaded on Facebook.
According to police, Pratik Mishra misused the Facebook account of his fiancée, Julirani Panda, to post the threatening message.
Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh said the accused took this step to embarrass his fiancée after she ended their relationship.
The SP further revealed that Pratik Mishra is involved in at least ten criminal cases registered at various police stations in Kendrapara and Puri districts. He has been arrested and is currently being interrogated.
Earlier, Puri Police had detained an individual after the bomb threat message surfaced on social media. Preliminary investigations confirmed that the threat was posted from the Facebook account of Julirani Panda. The Simhadwar Police registered a case and questioned her to determine her involvement, if any.
The Sri Jagannath Temple is considered a sensitive and high-risk location. Security concerns had earlier intensified after a threatening message was found written on the wall of Emar Mutt last year.
Following the latest bomb threat, security arrangements in and around the temple were significantly strengthened. Special Tactical Unit (STU) personnel and the Srimandir Surakshya Bahini were deployed to ensure the safety of devotees and the sacred site.
