Durga Puja pandal vandalised, Hindu devotees attacked and abused over Goddess Durga idol installation during Navratri

Case ID : 30aace4 | Location : Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Fri, 9 October, 2026

Case ID : 30aace4

Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

9 October, 2026

Durga Puja pandal vandalised, Hindu devotees attacked and abused over Goddess Durga idol installation during Navratri

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Violence against religious structures or centres

Attack not resulting in death

Attack against Hindu devotees

Case Summary

In Donai village, under the Patti Kotwali police station area of Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu devotees were brutally assaulted by eight men who sought to stop Durga Puja celebrations and the installation of a Goddess Durga idol at a Durga Puja pandal. The perpetrators also vandalised the Durga Puja pandal, while those present were subjected to verbal abuse and threats. The incident occurred around 3 am on 10 October 2026, while the Hindu devotees were arranging decorations at the Durga Puja pandal. During this time, 8 men arrived carrying sticks, hurled verbal abuse and began assaulting those engaged in the preparation of the pandal. When the devotees objected to the perpetrators' actions, they were brutally assaulted. The assault left two people, Vansh Dubey and Anoop Dubey, seriously injured. Both sustained head injuries, while one also suffered a serious leg injury. Doctors at a Community Health Centre treated them initially, but referred them to the district hospital because of the severity of their injuries. The complaint further stated that the perpetrators entered the complainant’s house and assaulted people inside before threatening residents in the surrounding area. Following the complaint, Patti police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against eight named individuals, Shivendra Kumar Dubey, Devendra Kumar Dubey, Rajneesh Kumar alias Ajay, Saurabh Dubey, Rishabh Dubey, Kaustubh Dubey, Akhilesh Dubey and Vikas Dubey. The case was registered under provisions relating to rioting, assault, verbal abuse and criminal intimidation. Sub-Inspector Prashant Katiyar was assigned to the investigation. The Hinduphobia Tracker contacted the police in connection with the incident. Police informed the Tracker that the Durga Puja pandal had been set up on temple land and despite this the perpetrators had sought to stop the Durga Puja celebrations because three members of their family had recently died, leading them to consider the religious observance inauspicious under the circumstances. Inspector Pradeep Kumar said the injured men had been sent for medical treatment. As of the date of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The primary category selected in this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is: Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other primary category selected is: Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory selected is: Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. This incident constituted a religiously motivated hate crime because the perpetrators specifically targeted Hindu religious practices, beginning with the vandalism of the Durga Puja pandal during preparations for the worship of Goddess Durga. Hindu devotees were also assaulted and verbally abused over the installation of the idols. These acts struck at the sanctity of Hindu worship, the dignity of devotees and their freedom to practise their faith without fear or intimidation. Durga Puja is one of the most significant Hindu festivals, honouring Goddess Durga and her victory over the demon Mahishasura, and symbolising the triumph of good over evil. It is a major religious and cultural observance for Hindus, where elaborately decorated pandals and sacred idols are central to the celebrations. The festival holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for Hindu communities, with the consecrated idols serving as a focal point of worship and devotion. The vandalism of the Durga Puja pandal constituted an affront to Hindu religious faith, spiritual devotion and the sanctity of a space prepared for the worship of Goddess Durga. For Hindus, a Durga Puja pandal represents far more than a temporary structure; it serves as a place where devotees gather to offer prayers, honour the divine goddess, participate in sacred rituals and celebrate the victory of good over evil. The act of vandalising such a space disrupted religious preparations and undermined the sense of reverence, security and collective belonging associated with the festival. Damage to the pandal affected not only the physical arrangements but also the emotional and spiritual investment of the devotees who worked to create a sacred environment for worship. The vandalism struck at a visible expression of Hindu identity and religious practice, turning a place intended for prayer and celebration into a source of distress for the community. Such acts undermine the freedom of Hindu devotees to observe their religious traditions with dignity and peace, while threatening the sanctity associated with collective worship. The incident consequently carried significance beyond damage to property, as it affected a space that embodies faith, cultural continuity and the community’s devotion to Maa Durga. The assault on Hindu devotees by the perpetrators during preparations at the Durga Puja pandal represented an act of physical violence against devotees participating in a Hindu religious celebration. Their involvement in arranging decorations placed them within the religious and communal setting of the festival, where preparations formed part of the collective effort to honour Goddess Durga. The assault disrupted these preparations and affected the safety of those participating in the worship-related activities. For Hindu devotees, participation in religious festivals carries spiritual, cultural and communal significance, as such occasions bring worshippers together through shared rituals, devotion and traditions. Violence against individuals engaged in these activities consequently affected not only their physical well-being but also the sense of security associated with their participation in a religious gathering. The injuries to both brothers therefore marked a serious incident of violence within a Hindu religious setting. The fact that the dispute concerned the installation of a Goddess Durga idol at a Durga Puja pandal directly connected the incident to a religious practice central to the observance of the festival. A dispute over the idol's installation therefore affected an activity with clear religious significance for the devotees involved. Any obstruction or conflict surrounding such preparations interferes with their ability to organise the celebration and participate in their customary religious practices. The incident consequently involved a disagreement within a distinctly Hindu religious context, rather than an ordinary dispute unrelated to worship. The pandal stood on temple land, yet the perpetrators sought to stop the Durga Puja, considering the religious observance inauspicious because three members of their family had recently died. While individuals are entitled to hold personal beliefs and consider religious observances inauspicious under particular circumstances, such beliefs do not justify vandalising a Hindu religious site, obstructing Durga Puja celebrations or assaulting devotees. The perpetrators’ view that the observance was inauspicious because three members of their family had recently died did not give them the right to interfere with the religious practices of Hindu devotees or undermine their freedom to worship Goddess Durga. By seeking to stop the celebrations and resorting to violence, the perpetrators’ conduct infringed upon the devotees’ right to practise their faith peacefully and with dignity. Accordingly, this case has been documented in the Hinduphobia Tracker's Hate Crime Database as an instance of religiously motivated hostility directed against Hinduism and the religious identity of the Hindu community. Disclaimer: Although multiple devotees were attacked during the incident, only two victims, Vansh Dubey and Anoop Dubey, were explicitly identified in the available news reports. Therefore, the victim count has been recorded as two.