Gujarat businessman flouts photography ban at Ayodhya Ram temple using sunglass cam; held

A man was arrested on Monday after he was found clicking pictures of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya using a camera-equipped sunglass, violating the ban on photography and videography rule at the religious site which was constructed after years of legal battle.

The man, identified as Jani Jaikumar from Gujarat's Vadodara in , managed to pass through multiple checkpoints on the Ram Janmabhoomi path and reached near the Singhdwar of the temple complex on Monday, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.

Jani Jaikumar is reportedly a businessman, police said.

Security personnel at the Ram temple noticed a light flashing in his sunglasses and sprung into action, they added.

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“He was spotted taking photos with the camera-equipped glasses, which caught the attention of security personnel when the camera light flashed,” police said.

SP (Security) Balramachari Dubey said said the glasses, equipped with cameras on both sides and a button for capturing images, are valued at thousands of rupees.

"The youth was immediately taken into custody after the suspicious device was discovered. The glasses, equipped with cameras on both sides and a button for capturing images, are valued at approximately ₹50,000," SP Dubey said.

Dubey further said Anurag Bajpai, an SSF jawan who detained the man, will be rewarded for his vigilance.

"The security watcher's quick action ensured no further security breach occurred," he added.

The detained youth, reportedly a businessman, is being interrogated by the authorities, he said.

Ayodhya's Ram Mandir

The Ram temple or Ram Mandir of Ayodhya was opened for public on January 23 last year a day after its consecration ceremony took place, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The temple was built after years of legal battle which ended in 2019, with the Supreme Court ruling to allocate the disputed land for the construction of a Hindu temple, while granting a piece of land nearby to Muslims for a mosque.

Babri Mosque, which stood at the spot where the temple now stands, was demolished by on December 6, 1992, by a large group of 'kar sevaks' who claimed that a temple was destroyed centuries ago to build a masjid.

The Supreme Court's decision was based on an Archaeological Survey of India report suggesting the presence of a non-Islamic structure beneath the demolished mosque.

Photography and videography in the temple is banned for security reasons.