In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Prem Shankar, who had recently married a Muslim woman named Hina B—who converted to Sanatan Dharma and took on the name Priyanka—found himself entangled in a harrowing ordeal. Just days after their wedding, Priyanka convinced him to visit her parental home in Pilibhit, under the guise of concern for her father’s health. Once there, Prem Shankar was ambushed by her extremist family members, who held him captive. Under severe duress, they forced him to convert to Islam, and even plotted to have him circumcised with the help of a local cleric.
Fortunately, Prem Shankar managed to escape and is now pleading with the authorities for justice.
Prem Shankar Gupta, originally hailing from Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand and currently residing in Bareilly’s Jagatpur locality, shared his terrifying experience with the police. He recounted how his acquaintance with Hina, a Muslim woman from Puranpur in Pilibhit, began while they worked together in a factory. Their relationship quickly grew into love, and they decided to get married. Being adults, they believed they had the right to make decisions about their lives. However, Hina’s family, known for their extremist views, vehemently opposed the union.
Prem Shankar explained that he and Hina moved to Bareilly to prepare for their marriage, going so far as to create affidavits that confirmed their legal adulthood.
They then approached Pandit K.K. Shankhdhar, the head of Agastya Muni Ashram, expressing their wish to marry. Hina openly declared her fear of Islamic practices such as triple talaq and halala, stating that she was voluntarily abandoning Islam to embrace Sanatan Dharma.
Pandit Shankhdhar, who conducted the Vedic wedding ceremony, confirmed to the media that the couple had repeatedly sought his assistance. After thorough verification of their documents, which proved they were both adults, he agreed to solemnize their marriage. The couple provided all necessary affidavits, and the wedding was duly performed.
However, soon after their marriage, whispers began circulating that Hina, allegedly in league with certain extremists in Bareilly, had filed false complaints against Prem Shankar with the police.
The wedding photos, videos, and images of the couple participating in Hindu rituals and enjoying their time together were sufficient to show that Hina was being manipulated by Islamic extremists for ulterior motives. As the Bareilly police were delving deeper into the investigation, Prem Shankar came forward with his account, shocking the authorities with the details.
Prem Shankar informed the police that after Hina became Priyanka following her conversion to Sanatan Dharma, they were married at the Agastya Muni Ashram on July 11, 2024. Priyanka had even lodged a complaint with the police, expressing fear for her life due to threats from her extremist family.
However, just a week after their marriage, Priyanka suddenly claimed that her father in Puranpur, Pilibhit, had attempted suicide and pleaded with Prem Shankar to accompany her. She reassured him that since they were now married, her family would no longer object.
But upon reaching Puranpur, Prem Shankar was confronted by Priyanka’s family, who accused him of dishonouring them by converting Hina to the Sanatan fold. They threatened him, insisting that everything would now be conducted according to Islamic law. Despite his resistance, they coerced him at gunpoint to sign documents declaring his conversion to Islam.
On July 18, they forcibly conducted a nikah (Islamic marriage) with him. The following days were filled with further distress.
Prem Shankar revealed that the situation at Priyanka’s home became so dire that he contemplated suicide, even recording an audio message as a final note. When his family alerted the police, Priyanka’s family grew fearful but continued planning his circumcision through a cleric and even plotted to murder him in a staged “accident.”
Sensing an opportunity, Prem Shankar managed to escape and returned to his home in Bareilly. He has now urged the Bareilly police to take stringent action against Priyanka’s extremist family and the cleric involved in these sinister plots.
To support his case, Prem Shankar has provided the police with various pieces of evidence, including photographs and videos of him and Priyanka (formerly Hina), their wedding pictures, and several crucial documents verifying their ages and addresses.
A video of Hina is also circulating online, in which she claims that Prem Shankar had promised to marry her at Bareilly’s Dargah Ala Hazrat under a different name but instead took her to an ashram for the wedding. However, the photos and videos with Prem Shankar raise doubts about her account.
Currently, the Bareilly police are investigating the conflicting narratives presented by Prem Shankar, Priyanka (formerly Hina), and their respective families. The case is unfolding, and it remains to be seen how the investigation will progress.
