KalingaTV News Network
Puri: The Russian national Andrei Glagolev who surprised devotees after begging for alms at the Srimandir entrance last month was sent today to the Russian Embassy at New Delhi.
Glagolev who was kept at the shelter centre of Odisha Tourism since his rescue on December 10. Arrangements were made by the district administration and he boarded the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Purushottam Express this morning. He was also given some financial assistance to cater to his expenditure during the travel.
“We kept Glagolev at our shelter centre in Puri after his rescue on December 10. He was sent to appear at a hearing of United Nations High Commission for Refugees scheduled for January 8. He has moved an application to the Commission to get accorded with refugee status in India. In case his application gets rejected, the Russian Embassy would make all arrangements to send him back to Moscow and he has been communicated in this regard,” said District Tourism Officer, Bijay Kumar Jena.
However, ahead of boarding the train, Glagolev expressed his unwillingness to return to Russia and said he had been forced out of his home for worshiping Hindu deities and reposing faith in Hinduism.
As per the statement given by Glogolev, he was subjected to religious intolerance in his native place Bavly in Russia. He was forced out of his home in 2015 for worshiping Hindu deity despite being a Christian. He came to India the same year and spent two years in Uttar Pradesh before relocating to Puri last month.
Glogolev has thanked the Puri district administration and the people of the religious town for all the treatment provided to him.
Kalinga AI