President Murmu’s Odisha visit: Locals taking pics with helicopter reveals security lapse

Baripada: After a power outage for nine minutes during President Droupadi Murmu’s address at Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha on the occasion of the varsity’s 12th Convocation, a severe security lapse that took place here has surfaced today.

According to a source, several locals allegedly took photographs near an air force helicopter engaged for the President’s official visit and stationed at a helipad near Jashipur. The lapse came to the fore after one of the locals uploaded a selfie on his social media account and later it went viral.

The President had gone to Similipal National Park in the district on her second-day tour on Friday when the photographs were taken on mobile phones near the helicopter, the source added.

Meanwhile, the man identified as Jashobanta Behera working as a pharmacist has deleted the photo.

Jashobatna was deployed in a medical team on the intervening day and was on duty at the spot.

“I posted a few photos on my Facebook account only for the sake of memory and fun. I had no other intention of doing so. However, I took verbal permission from some air force personnel engaged to guard the aircraft. As such a great personality like the President Madam had come to the district and I was on duty at the helipad, I wanted to keep the photos as a memory,” the pharmacist said.