Five Hindu deity idols stolen from Supapali Math and dumped in Ballia canal, Hanuman idol damaged
Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India 
29 January, 2026
Case Summary
Five Hindu deity idols were stolen from Supapali Math in the Nagra police station area of Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, in January 2026. The stolen idols included idols of Lord Hanuman, Laddu Gopal, a large Radha-Krishna idol, another Lord Hanuman idol, and one additional idol. The theft came to light after Mahant Kamal Nayan Das informed the authorities. On 30 July 2026, two metal Hindu deity idols, identified as Lord Hanuman and Bal Gopal (Laddu Gopal), were recovered from the Doharighat Auxiliary Pump Canal near Zahidpur (Jhanghata) village under the Ubhaon police station area. The idols were discovered by Zahidpur resident Ramashankar Rajbhar while he was fishing in the canal, after they became entangled in his net. Local residents gathered at the spot and worshipped the idols before informing the police. The Ubhaon police reached the scene, took both idols into custody, and began an investigation. Villagers estimated that the Hanuman idol weighed around eight to ten kilograms and the Bal Gopal idol around two to two and a half kilograms, and believed that the idols appeared old and were possibly made of Ashtadhatu (an alloy of eight metals). Station House Officer Dinesh Pathak stated that the police were examining the metal composition, antiquity, and provenance of the recovered idols and comparing them with idol theft cases registered in Ballia and neighbouring districts. On 31 July 2026, Mahant Kamal Nayan Das visited the Ubhaon police station and inspected the recovered idols kept in the police storehouse (Malkhana). He stated that the idols matched those stolen from Supapali Math in January 2026. He further stated that, of the five stolen idols, only the Hanuman and Laddu Gopal idols had been recovered, while three idols, including a large Radha-Krishna idol and another Hanuman idol, remained untraced. The Station House Officer stated that the Mahant's assertion regarding the ownership of the recovered idols was being verified. On 3 August 2026, two more Hindu deity idols were recovered from the same Doharighat Auxiliary Pump Canal near Zahidpur village after the village head informed the Ubhaon police about their presence in the water. The recovered idols were identified as Lord Hanuman and Goddess Sita. The police retrieved both idols and took them into custody. This brought the total number of recovered Hindu deity idols from the canal to four within four days. Following the second recovery, Mahant Kamal Nayan Das stated that he had earlier expressed concern that the remaining stolen idols might also have been thrown into the canal and had requested the police administration to conduct a comprehensive search of the water body. He stated that the subsequent recovery of two more idols supported that concern. He also stated that one of the recovered Hanuman idols bore signs of damage. Station House Officer Dinesh Pathak stated that the exact origin and ownership of all four recovered idols would be determined after completion of the police investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is- 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. At first glance, the theft of the idols could have been perceived as a crime motivated by financial gain. However, the subsequent recovery of one Hanuman idol in a damaged condition fundamentally altered the nature of the incident. The visible damage to a consecrated idol meant that the offence extended beyond the unlawful removal of religious artefacts and involved the desecration of an object that was central to Hindu worship. It was this element of damage to a sacred religious representation, rather than the theft alone, that brought the incident within the ambit of a religiously motivated hate crime under Hinduphobia Tracker. The treatment of the stolen idols after their removal from Supapali Math further reinforced the religious dimension of the offence. Four of the five deity idols were recovered from the Doharighat Auxiliary Pump Canal over two separate recoveries within four days, with one Hanuman idol bearing visible signs of damage. These were consecrated idols installed in an active Hindu temple and used for regular worship, not objects of ordinary commercial or material value. If the sole objective had been to unlawfully appropriate the idols for their material or commercial value, there would have been little reason for four of the stolen idols to be discarded in a canal or for one of the consecrated idols to be recovered in a damaged condition. The manner in which the idols were treated therefore extended beyond mere theft and resulted in the desecration of sacred Hindu religious representations, affecting not only religious property but also objects that embodied the faith and devotional life of the Hindu community. It is important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed from hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred idols and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the theft of the Hindu deity idols from Supapali Math took place, though it is mentioned that the theft occurred in January 2026. Thus, to document this case, we have used an indicative date of 30 January 2026, as a placeholder to represent the occurrence of the theft. This date has been derived by combining the known month and year with the date of the media coverage of the recoveries, which was 30 July 2026. This is an indicative date used for documentation purposes.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
