Hindu temple targeted as thieves remove gold eyes from sacred idols and steal cash from donation box
Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, India 
12 May, 2026
Case Summary
A Hindu temple, the ancient Kali Mata Mandir located in Karjara Gram Sabha, Dhanapur development block, Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, was broken into on the night of 13 May 2026 by unknown thieves who stole cash from the donation box, removed the gold eyes from the idol of Maa Kali, and extracted the gold eyes from seven Pindis [sacred stone representations of Hindu deities, particularly associated with Shiva worship] installed in the temple. As per details, the thieves broke into the temple premises, forcibly broke open the donation box and stole the cash inside. They then removed the gold eyes from the idol of Maa Kali and from all seven Pindis installed in the temple. The discovery of the theft caused heavy outrage among villagers. The temple priest and villagers present at the scene confirmed that this was the third occasion on which the temple had been targeted by thieves. They urged the administration to take cognisance of the matter and take concrete action against the unknown perpetrators. No arrests were confirmed at the time of publication.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident has been added to the Undecided database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. The theft at the ancient Kali Mata Mandir in Karjara Gram Sabha, Chandauli, raises concerns that warrant documentation, but the available evidence does not permit a definitive characterisation of the case as a religiously motivated hate crime at this stage. The confirmed facts establish that unknown thieves broke into the temple on the night of 13 May 2026, stole cash from the donation box, and specifically removed the gold eyes from the idol of Maa Kali and from seven Pindis installed in the temple. The targeting of the gold eyes from multiple sacred objects across the temple's premises in a single operation reflects familiarity with the temple's layout and contents, consistent with prior knowledge of the site. The most significant factor warranting documentation is that the temple priest and villagers confirmed this as the third occasion on which the temple had been targeted. A Hindu temple that has been broken into three times is not the victim of random opportunistic theft. The repeated targeting of the same sacred site establishes a directional pattern that goes beyond selecting a location for its monetary value alone. This could potentially reflect a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed that in many cases, perpetrators specifically target Hindu places of worship due to animosity toward Hindus and their religious symbols. However, it is also possible that the repeated targeting reflects the temple's known possession of gold ornaments rather than hostility specifically toward its Hindu religious character. Nevertheless, this remains speculative, as the perpetrators are unidentified and the case details provide no clear indication of religious motivation. Neither the temple priest nor any other source referenced in the case made any statement suggesting a religious motive behind the theft. For this reason, this case has been added to the Undecided database. If further information emerges that establishes the identity or religious motivation of the perpetrators, this case would be reclassified and added to the tracker's hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
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Perpetrators Range
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Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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