Hindu sentiments outraged after idol of folk deity vandalised and desecrated at Hindu temple in Churu district, Rajasthan
Churu, Rajasthan, India 
24 June, 2026
Case Summary
In the Mundada village of Churu district, Rajasthan, Hindu sentiments were outraged after an idol of the folk deity Veer Tejaji was vandalised at a Hindu temple. According to the police complaint filed by Purna Ram Maharam Ram Jat, secretary of the temple committee, a 22-year-old man, Hem Singh, entered the temple premises during the night of 25 June 2026 with the intention of committing theft. He removed the spear from the idol of Veer Tejaji and used it to break open the temple's donation box, resulting in the desecration of the deity's idol. Following the incident, a police team visited the village, examined CCTV footage from the temple, and launched a search for the accused. Police also noted that thefts had taken place at two temples in the nearby village of Jili on the same night and were investigating whether the incidents were connected.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the 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. The other sub-category selected here 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. \ This case has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker because it involved the attempted theft and vandalisation of a Hindu temple dedicated to the folk deity Veer Tejaji, resulting in the desecration of a sacred place of worship and damage to an object of religious significance. The primary religious marker in this case was the targeting of a Hindu temple. Hindu temples are consecrated spaces where devotees perform daily worship, celebrate religious festivals, preserve longstanding traditions, and maintain a spiritual connection with their deities. The temple in Mundada village was dedicated to Veer Tejaji, a highly revered folk deity worshipped across Rajasthan and neighbouring regions as a protector, particularly of cattle, and as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and justice. By unlawfully entering the temple with criminal intent and desecrating the idol during the commission of the offence, the accused violated a place of deep religious significance for the local Hindu community. Such an intrusion directly affected the sanctity of the temple and the religious sentiments of the devotees associated with it. The second religious marker was the desecration of the idol of Veer Tejaji. In Hinduism, consecrated idols (murtis) are regarded as living embodiments of the divine following the ritual of Pran Pratishtha and serve as the focal point of worship, devotion, and religious observances. The removal of the spear from the idol in order to break open the temple donation box resulted in the desecration of a sacred object of worship. Regardless of whether the primary objective was theft, the act involved the misuse and damage of a consecrated idol, thereby violating its sanctity and causing distress to the devotees who venerated the deity. Although the available information indicated that the motive behind the incident was theft, the manner in which the offence was carried out involved the desecration of a Hindu idol and damage within a place of worship. Such incidents cannot be treated solely as ordinary property crimes when they involve the violation of sacred religious spaces and objects central to the faith of a community. The offence disrupted the sanctity of the temple and affected the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees who regarded the temple and its deity as sacred. The attempted theft and desecration at the Veer Tejaji Temple therefore constituted an attack on a Hindu place of worship and a consecrated object of religious significance. Since the incident involved the desecration of a Hindu idol within a temple during the commission of a criminal offence, it satisfies the Hinduphobia Tracker's inclusion criteria for documenting attacks on Hindu religious institutions and sacred objects.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
