Hindu deity's idol desecrated by miscreants ahead of Hanuman Jayanti festival in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India 
29 March, 2026
Case Summary
In Sisauli village, under the Kithaur police station area of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, a Hanuman idol at an ancient Hanuman temple was desecrated by a few unidentified miscreants. This occurred just days ahead of the Hanuman Jayanti festival. The incident occurred late at night and was discovered in the morning by the Block Cow Protection Chief, Vansh Tomar of Pachgaon Patti. Upon receiving the information, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal workers arrived at the scene. They demanded action from the government and administration. Several officials were present during the protest, including District Student Leader Ankit Dhama, District Coordinator Harsh Sharma, District Coordinator Nitin Kumar, District Cow Protection Chief Kapil Khajuri, District Publicity Chief Rajendra Tyagi, and District Co-Secretary Dr. Arun Sanatani. District Student Leader Ankit Dhama issued an ultimatum to the station in charge and Sub-Inspector Sumit Upadhyay, who arrived at the scene, to apprehend the culprits within two days. The outpost in charge assured them that the miscreants would be found and jailed under criminal charges. Hindu organisations and nearby villagers supported this demand, warning the administration. Kuldeep Ji, the temple committee priest, dressed as Hanuman in a robe and performed prayers and recited the Hanuman Chalisa. During this, Block Coordinator Aditya Prajapati, Lucky Badhla, Roopendra, Keshav Samaypur, Pushpendra, Rohit, Arun Saxena, Mohan, Lagan, Mayank, Ashish, Nitin and all the villagers were present on the spot.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This incident qualifies as a hate crime because the perpetrators deliberately desecrated a sacred idol of Lord Hanuman, a revered Hindu deity. In Hindu tradition, idols (murtis) serve as physical embodiments of the divine, consecrated through elaborate rituals like prana pratishtha to house the deity's presence. Hindus hold these murtis in utmost reverence, viewing them as living extensions of gods and goddesses central to worship, festivals, and daily devotion. Therefore, any act of desecration, such as vandalising an idol, strikes at the core of the Hindu faith, symbolising profound disrespect and hostility. This transforms the current incident of idol vandalism into a religiously motivated hate crime, fuelled by animosity against Hindus, as it targets their most sacred symbols rather than mere property. The attack and desecration of the sacred Hanuman idol occurred inside the ancient temple itself, elevating this incident beyond a mere assault on a Hindu religious symbol to a direct attack on the temple as a whole. In Hindu tradition, temples represent sacred abodes of the divine, serving as vibrant community hubs for worship, rituals, festivals, and spiritual gatherings where devotees seek blessings and connect with the eternal. Temple idols, consecrated through prana pratishtha, form inseparable components of this ecosystem, embodying the deity's living presence amidst the temple's sanctum, altars, and sacred spaces. Desecrating such an idol within the temple premises demonstrates not only profound irreverence to the murti but a calculated assault on the entire temple structure and its sanctity. These attacks stem from deep religious animosity towards the Hindu community, aiming to desecrate holy sites, disrupt devotion, and instil fear, thereby constituting a blatant anti-Hindu hate crime. The fact that this desecration occurred just days before the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, underscores that it was no random act of vandalism. Instead, it directly aimed to desecrate the idol and create hurdles in the festival's preparations, disrupting religious worship and instilling fear. Such precise timing showcases deep animosity towards the Hindu community and their faith, elevating this to a clear case of religiously motivated hate crime designed to intimidate the community and disrespect their religious beliefs. In this current case, even though the perpetrators' identities remain unknown, the act is clearly motivated by deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu community and their faith. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the dates of incidents based on when the crime occurred, rather than when it is reported by the media. In this current case, media reports have not specified the exact date when the crime occurred. Hence, the media report date of 30 March 2026 is selected as the indicative incident date. This is recorded for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
