Hindu temple vandalised, sacred idols and images of Hindu deities desecrated in Mauganj, Madhya Pradesh

Case ID : 30aa517 | Location : Mauganj, Madhya Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Fri, 11 September, 2026

Case ID : 30aa517

Mauganj, Madhya Pradesh, India

11 September, 2026

Hindu temple vandalised, sacred idols and images of Hindu deities desecrated in Mauganj, Madhya Pradesh

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Attack on Temples

Case Summary

In Baheradabar village of Mauganj district, Madhya Pradesh, a Hindu temple was vandalised and sacred Hindu idols and religious materials were desecrated by a miscreant. The perpetrator broke the lock of the Shri Hanuman Ji and Durga Mata Temple and damaged the Radha-Krishna idol. He also ripped out electrical fittings and threw sacred Hindu texts and photographs of Hindu deities outside the temple premises. On 12 September 2026, 51-year-old Hindu priest Lilavati Tiwari arrived at the temple at around 5:30 pm to perform puja, where she discovered the vandalism. Upon receiving information about the incident, village head Vinay Singh Chauhan reached the temple and documented the destruction through photographs and videos. Tiwari identified local resident Shivanshu Singh, alias Shibbu Singh Chauhan, as the perpetrator who had vandalised the temple. Later that night, at around 8 pm, Singh went to Tiwari's residence, verbally abused her and threatened to kill her if she complained to the police about the temple vandalism. On the evening of 13 September 2026, the victim's family filed a complaint at Mauganj Police Station. Based on the complaint and available evidence, including photographs and videos documenting the vandalism, police registered a case against Singh under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and initiated further legal action and 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 symbol. 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 case is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime, as the perpetrator desecrated sacred Hindu idols, religious texts and photographs of Hindu deities, threw them outside the temple premises, and vandalised the temple itself. The subsequent threats and verbal abuse directed at the temple priest further demonstrated hostility towards those who sought to expose and challenge the desecration. In Hinduism, deities, murtis (idols), sacred scriptures and religious imagery hold profound spiritual and devotional significance. A murti is not regarded by devotees as an ordinary physical object or mere decoration, but as a sacred embodiment or representation of the deity through which the divine is invoked, worshipped and venerated. Devotees offer prayers, flowers, food and other ritual offerings before murtis as part of their daily and ceremonial worship. Sacred scriptures and devotional texts are likewise revered as repositories of religious knowledge, teachings and spiritual guidance, and are recited, read and worshipped as part of Hindu religious practice. Photographs and other images of Hindu deities also serve as objects of reverence, allowing devotees to maintain a visual and devotional connection with the deity in temples, homes and other sacred spaces. Consequently, these idols, scriptures and religious images are not ordinary material possessions, but occupy an important place in Hindu worship, devotion and religious life. Therefore, the deliberate damaging of the Radha-Krishna idol and throwing sacred religious texts and photographs of Hindu deities outside the temple amounted to the desecration of objects that Hindus hold sacred. These acts went beyond ordinary property damage, as the perpetrator specifically targeted revered Hindu religious symbols, demonstrating contempt for their sanctity and hurting the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees. Such deliberate desecration was rooted in animosity towards Hinduism and its sacred symbols, making the incident a clear case of a religiously driven hate crime. The vandalism was also carried out within a Hindu temple, further demonstrating the religiously targeted nature of the crime. Hindu temples are revered institutions of worship and are regarded by devotees as sacred spaces where the divine is present and worshipped through rituals, prayers and offerings. By forcibly breaching the locked temple and damaging its premises, the perpetrator violated a space central to the religious life of the local Hindu community. The attack therefore extended beyond individual sacred objects and constituted an assault on an institution of Hindu worship itself. The desecration of the temple and disruption of its sanctity injured the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees and reflected anti-Hindu animosity directed at both their faith and their place of worship. Furthermore, when the temple priest took a stand against the desecration and identified the perpetrator, she was subjected to verbal abuse and death threats at her own residence. The intimidation of the priest was particularly significant because she was responsible for performing worship and safeguarding the temple's religious practices. Threatening her with death for seeking action against the desecration was an attempt to silence and punish a Hindu religious custodian for opposing the attack on her place of worship. This demonstrated further hostility towards Hindu religious practice and an attempt to suppress accountability for an anti-Hindu act through intimidation and fear. Overall, since this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated hate crime, it is being added to the hate crime database of Hinduphobia Tracker.