A temple priest in Pauri Garhwal district was booked under the SC/ST Act after allegations that he denied entry to a Dalit couple for their wedding. However, the complainant, the bride’s father, Nakul Das, later retracted his statement, claiming he was influenced by some villagers.
Das initially reported that on March 5, 2025, priest Nagendra Selwal and his associate Nitish Khediyal locked the hawan area gates at the Adishakti Maa Bhuvaneshwari temple in Muniyarsyun. He alleged that they refused entry to the couple and hurled casteist slurs. The complaint was filed with the revenue police on March 12 and later transferred to the Pauri Kotwali police station on March 16.
However, Pauri Garhwal SSP Lokeshwar Singh revealed that Das requested police to drop the case, saying, “I lodged the complaint under the influence of some villagers.” Despite this, Singh confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and authorities have submitted an application before the local court to officially record his new statement.
Meanwhile, the State Commission for SC/ST has stepped in, seeking a detailed report from the district magistrate and SSP. Mukesh Kumar, chairperson of the commission, said, “We are closely monitoring the case and will decide the next course of action based on the findings.”
