On Tuesday (10th September 2024), a Muslim youth was apprehended in the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh for using the false identity of a Hindu man and acting as a Priest in a Shiva temple. The accused had been working as a priest in Bijnor’s Shiva temple for the last 6 months but when suspecting locals checked his Aadhar card, his real identity turned out to be Sanwar Hussain, a resident of Uttarakhand. However, he claimed that he is a resident of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh and he did ‘Ghar wapsi’ in 2018. But he couldn’t show evidence to back his claim. Currently, the Police are investigating the matter.
According to media reports, this incident pertains to the Sherkot police station area of Bijnor district. A Shiva temple in the Tiperjot village is a big centre of faith for the locals and a large number of devotees gather at the temple, especially on the occasion of Shivratri.
About 6 months ago, a young man came to this temple as a sevadar. After a few days, he became the priest of this temple. He started staying in the temple, claiming to do prayer activities. He used to call himself the temple priest ‘Shivamnath’. However, after noticing his actions, the villagers developed suspicion towards him.
On Tuesday (10th September), they asked him to show his Aadhar card but he expressed reluctance. However, when the locals persisted, he presented them with his identity card. After seeing his ID card, locals found out that he is a Muslim man and his father’s name is Afsar Ali. As per the ID card, Sanwar Hussain’s registered address is somewhere in Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. However, he claimed that he is a resident of Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh.
When locals checked his mobile phone, it yielded many more shocking revelations. It had many pictures of him in Islamic attire. In one picture, he was seen standing near a shrine. He was wearing a Muslim skull cap and his hands were raised in prayer.
It was also revealed that Sanwar Hussain had earlier spent time acting as a priest in many temples of Nagarpur Khadak Sain and Nagina area of Bijnor district. In these temples, he used to call himself Maharaj.
After learning that he was using the false identity of a Hindu man and committing fraud, the villagers alerted the Police about the entire matter.
— Bijnor Police (@bijnorpolice) September 11, 2024
The Police took Sanwar Hussain into custody and started questioning him. According to the police, as per preliminary investigation, the accused has no prior criminal record.
In his defence, Sanwar Hussain claimed that he had converted to Hindu Dharma in 2018. However, he has not been able to provide any concrete evidence regarding the claim that he did Ghar wapsi and adopted Hindu Dharma.
Meanwhile, his family members have been informed. Currently, the Police are investigating the matter, and further legal action is underway.
