UP priest seeks security after solemnising inter-faith marriages

Bareilly: A priest of the Agastya Muni Ashram in Bareilly, who has solemnised over 64 inter-faith marriages, has sought security after he reportedly received threatening calls.

The priest, Pandit K.K. Shankdhar, met the Bareilly Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Chaurasia and sought security. He said he has solemnised weddings of 64 Muslim women with Hindu men in the past six years — 20 in this year alone.

Shankdhar claimed that he was recently intercepted by some youths near a shrine and threatened but he managed to escape.

The priest claimed that he has been receiving calls from private numbers where the callers are threatening to behead him.

“I am apprehensive of an attack on me anytime and, hence, want security from police,” he said.

Shankdhar said he was being targeted since he performs “rituals for non-Hindu women marrying Hindu men and helps them convert their religion before marriage”.

The SSP said, “I have forwarded Shankdhar’s application to the circle officer of the local intelligence unit and asked them to provide a report on it. The decision to give security to him will be taken on the basis of the report.”