SOUTH
In a serious security breach, the strategic drone videos of Sabarimala Sri Dharma Sastha Temple and its surroundings were leaked on Youtube by the agency which shot the visuals for Kerala Police. The private agency uploaded the drone footage of the forest shrine and its surroundings online, despite the police making it clear that it had no right to use them.
The private studio shot the videos the other day as part of making the security arrangements foolproof at the temple. After the recording, the studio uploaded 31 videos on Youtube posing a huge security threat to the strategically sensitive hilltop temple where millions of pilgrims throng every year.
The Youtube uploads had the sanctum sanctorum, offices and the panoramic visual of the shrine in the sprawling Periyar Tiger Reserve. The videos got leaked online at a time when security is being beefed up at the temple ahead of the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition.
Pathanamthitta District Police Chief Harishankar told Asianet News that the private agency who recorded the visuals for the police had no right to upload the visuals online. Though the videos were deleted from Youtube later, there are apprehensions that they might have got downloaded widely by then.