Hindu faith targeted: Offensive remark mocking Lord Hanuman posted on Hindu man's Instagram timeline
Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, India 
17 March, 2026
Case Summary
An objectionable and offensive comment targeting Lord Hanuman was posted on a Hindu man, Kapil’s, Instagram account in Khekra, Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh. The comment appeared on a post related to Lord Hanuman. Following the incident, Kapil filed a formal complaint at the Khekra police station seeking action against the unidentified individual. According to the complaint, the offensive remark was made in a post specifically about Lord Hanuman. Kapil stated that the comment had hurt his religious sentiments and raised concerns about its potential impact on the local environment. The station in charge, Prabhakar Kentura, confirmed that the matter was under investigation. Police stated that efforts were underway to identify the account responsible through technical evidence and that appropriate legal action would be taken. The investigation was ongoing at the time of reporting.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category for this case is "Hate speech against Hindus". The sub-category here is "Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith". Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This case qualified as an instance of hate speech on the basis that the offensive comment was not directed at Kapil personally but at a post dedicated to Lord Hanuman, one of the most beloved and widely revered deities in the Hindu faith, making the target of the offensive comment not an individual but an entire religious community and its sacred beliefs. Lord Hanuman occupies a position of profound spiritual significance in Hinduism, revered by hundreds of millions of Hindu devotees across India and the world as a symbol of devotion, strength, and righteousness. The deliberate choice to post an offensive and objectionable comment on a post dedicated specifically to Lord Hanuman was therefore not a random or neutral act but a conscious and targeted decision to direct hatred and mockery at one of the most sacred figures in the Hindu faith. The religious significance of the target confirmed that the motivation behind the comment was not personal animosity towards Kapil but a deliberate intent to mock and demean the Hindu faith through its most cherished religious symbols. The posting of an offensive comment on a public social media platform amplified the harm of the act beyond a private exchange into a public space where it was visible to the wider Hindu community. Social media has become one of the primary spaces in which Hindu religious expression takes place in contemporary India, with devotees sharing prayers, images, and posts related to their faith as a daily practice. The deliberate targeting of this space with offensive and objectionable commentary directed at Hindu religious content reflected a conscious attempt to make Hindu religious expression unwelcome and unsafe in the digital public sphere, subverting the Hindu community's ability to express and celebrate their faith freely and without fear of mockery or abuse. Given that this case met the parameters of hate speech directed at the Hindu community, it was added to the hate crime database of the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
