Police detained a 55-year-old man from Kashmir on Friday after he allegedly attempted to offer namaz inside the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya and raised slogans when stopped, officials said.
The man, identified by police sources as Ahmed Sheikh from Shopian district in south Kashmir, entered the high-security temple premises earlier in the day. After visiting the shrine, he sat near the Sita Rasoi area, where security personnel noticed him preparing to pray, the sources said.
Temple security staff intervened and detained him before handing him over to the local police for questioning. Some officials said the man raised slogans when stopped.
The temple stands on the site where the 16th-century Babri mosque once stood before it was demolished by Hindu extremists in 1992, an event that triggered nationwide communal violence.
After decades of legal dispute, Supreme Court in 2019 awarded the land to Hindu parties for the construction of the temple, while directing that alternative land be allotted for a mosque elsewhere in Ayodhya.
The site remains among the most sensitive religious locations in the country and is under tight security year-round.
Police in Kashmir, meanwhile, visited the home of the man and questioned his family after the incident.
Family members told police that Sheikh suffers from mental illness and provided medical records from the psychiatry department of Srinagar Medical College to support their claim.
Police said investigating and intelligence agencies were questioning the man to determine his intent and were verifying his travel details, including why he came to Ayodhya and whether anyone else was involved.
During preliminary checks, police found food items, including cashews and raisins, in his possession. Sources said the man told investigators he was travelling to Ajmer.
Senior police officers and intelligence agencies are also reviewing security arrangements at the Ram Mandir complex following the incident. The district administration and the Ram Temple Trust declined to comment.
The incident comes as Ayodhya prepares for Makar Sankranti celebrations next week, which are expected to draw large crowds, and ahead of the second anniversary of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony on Jan. 22.
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