Sacred Durga temple targeted for robbery during Navratri celebrations in Mohali, Punjab
Mohali, Punjab, India 
22 March, 2026
Case Summary
In Mohali, Punjab, a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Durga was targeted in a robbery incident by an unidentified thief during the Navratri festival. According to media reports, the thief stole from the Maa Durga Temple in Sector 68 for two consecutive days on 23 March 2026 and 24 March 2026. Temple head Surinder Sood stated that on the night of the incident, an unknown person entered the temple and broke the locks of two boxes, stealing cash. Temple head Surinder Sood stated that a formal complaint was filed at the Phase 8 police station. The complaint stated that the accused first broke the box of the Lord Vishnu shrine, which contained approximately 100 rupees. He then tried to break the boxes of the Kali Mata and Hanuman shrines, but was unsuccessful. He later broke the box of the Shani Dev shrine, stealing approximately 9,000 to 10,000 rupees. The accused repeated the crime the following night. This time, the thief broke the box of the Kali Mata temple, but he was unable to find anything as it was already empty.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident involving the looting of the Maa Durga Temple in Mohali, Punjab, could potentially be categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime, as Hindu temples are routinely attacked and looted by anti-Hindu elements. Such actions are usually rooted in animosity towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. Suspicion of religious motivation is further raised because this looting occurred during the sacred Navratri festival, a time when Hindus immerse themselves in devotion to the Goddess. The Hinduphobia Tracker has documented numerous instances where Hindu temples were attacked and looted by anti-Hindu elements, specifically during Navratri, precisely to desecrate the festival spirit and inflict deep hurt on Hindu sentiments. Such actions stem from deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu community, thereby raising serious and valid suspicion of a religiously motivated nature behind crimes of looting during Navratri. However, it is equally plausible that in this case, the perpetrator's act was a crime of opportunity, committed with the sole intent to loot, without any outright religious animosity. Since, in this particular case, there is currently no explicit evidence suggesting religious motivation behind the crime, it is being classified under the "Undecided" database. If further information emerges indicating that this crime was motivated by religious animosity, the case will be reassessed and appropriately included in the hate crime database of the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
