Man caught using AI-powered smart glasses inside Jagannath Temple, arrested

smart glasses

A young man was recently caught inside Puri’s Jagannath Temple secretly recording videos using a hidden camera placed inside his spectacles. The incident has sparked serious security concerns about how easy it has become to sneak in high-tech gadgets, especially inside religious sites where photography is strictly banned.

According to an Aajtak report, the man had cleverly fitted a small camera lens into his glasses. He was recording visuals from inside the temple, and the footage was being sent directly to his mobile phone in real-time. His behavior didn’t go unnoticed. At the Baharana Dwara (the temple’s exit gate), security personnel noticed something suspicious and stopped him.

When they examined his glasses, they discovered the hidden camera. The temple’s security team, the Shree Mandir Security Force (SSMSV), acted quickly and detained him. He was handed over to the Singhadwara Police Control Room for further questioning.

So far, the police have confirmed that the man is a local resident. Puri SP Pinak Mishra said there is no confirmation yet on whether he actually recorded any footage. The investigation is still ongoing.

While the police haven’t revealed the brand or make of the glasses, a video accessed by AajTak suggests that the man may have been using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. These glasses, developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) in partnership with Ray-Ban, look like stylish sunglasses but are equipped with tiny cameras that allow users to take photos or videos hands-free.

A simple tap on the frame or a voice command is all it takes to start recording. The content is then synced directly to the user’s phone, making it incredibly hard for others to notice anything unusual.

This incident is not the first of its kind. Just weeks ago, a man was caught wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses inside Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. Similar to the Puri case, he was allegedly recording inside the premises, where photography is also strictly prohibited.

The rise of such wearable gadgets is turning into a real challenge for security teams at sensitive locations like temples, courts, and government buildings. In the past, spotting a phone or a regular camera was easy. But smart glasses blur that line. They look completely normal from the outside and don’t draw attention, making it easier for people to misuse them.

Temples like Jagannath and Ram Mandir hold deep religious and cultural value. Recording videos secretly inside such sacred places is not just illegal, it’s seen as a serious violation of faith and tradition.

As the investigation continues, the incident has already started a larger conversation. Security forces may now need to update their training and equipment to spot tech like smart glasses before it’s too late.