Hindu temple vandalised, nine sacred Navagraha idols desecrated by Muslim man in Ramanagara, Karnataka
Ramanagara, Karnataka, India 
30 October, 2026
Case Summary
In Ramanagara, Karnataka, the Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Temple, situated near Kempegowda Circle, was vandalised when all nine sacred Navagraha idols installed on a raised platform within the temple premises were damaged and desecrated by a Muslim man, Mohammed Sameem. The destruction of the nine Hindu planetary deities caused anger among residents and members of the Hindu community. The incident occurred during the night of 31 October 2026 and came to light when the temple priests arrived the next morning and found all nine idols damaged. They immediately alerted the police, following which officers from Ijoor Police Station visited the temple and inspected the scene. Police examined closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from cameras installed inside the temple and in the surrounding area. The footage captured the incident and showed the individual damaging the idols. After reviewing the CCTV footage, Ijoor Police arrested Mohammed Sameem, a native of Bihar who worked as a construction labourer in Ramanagara, doing masonry and plastering work. The incident took place during the night, when he had consumed a substantial quantity of alcohol before damaging the Navagraha idols. Police subsequently took him into custody in connection with the vandalism. Following the incident and the arrest, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), along with members of the temple management committee, met Ramanagara Superintendent of Police Rohan Jagadish on November 2, 2026 (Monday) and submitted a written representation seeking a further investigation. After the meeting, BJP leader Gautam Gowda addressed the media and condemned the destruction of the Navagraha idols at a prominent temple in the city, describing it as an unacceptable act that hurt Hindu religious sentiments. He urged the police not to dismiss the incident as minor and called for an investigation into whether any other individuals or organisations were involved. He also demanded appropriate action against anyone found to be involved.
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. The other subcategory selected in this case 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 hate crime because the sacred Navagraha idols were deliberately desecrated inside a Hindu temple by a Muslim man. To understand the severity of this case, one must understand the religious significance Hindu idols hold. In Hindu traditions, a murti is not merely a physical object or artistic representation but a sacred form through which a deity is worshipped and invoked during rituals, prayers, offerings and darshan. The Navagraha idols hold particular religious significance as representations of the nine planetary deities and occupy an important place in Hindu worship, with devotees offering prayers and performing rituals to seek planetary harmony, well-being and protection from adverse planetary influences. The destruction of these idols constituted an act of religious desecration directed at sacred Hindu representations. The nine Navagraha idols are not ordinary objects but revered forms of worship that hold deep religious significance for Hindu devotees. Damaging them therefore demonstrated a direct disregard for the sanctity accorded to these representations and the religious practices associated with them. By physically destroying objects that devotees worship, offer prayers to and regard as manifestations of the divine, the Muslim accused violated their sanctity and caused profound religious hurt to the Hindu community. The fact that the desecration took place inside a Hindu temple further aggravated the religious nature of the offence. A temple is a sacred space dedicated to the worship of deities, where devotees undertake prayers, rituals, festivals and other religious observances. The temple's sanctity is intrinsically connected to the sacred idols installed within it, the rituals performed around them, and the devotees who come to worship. Desecrating all nine Navagraha idols within the temple therefore violated not only the sanctity of the sacred representations but also that of the place of worship itself. Targeting the Navagraha idols in a Hindu temple in this manner caused deep hurt to the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees and represented a direct affront to the sanctity of their place of worship. Some may argue that the perpetrator carried out the act under the influence of alcohol. However, intoxication does not justify the deliberate desecration of a Hindu place of worship or negate the religious dimension of the offence. The perpetrator specifically entered a temple and damaged the idols. If the act was solely due to intoxication, the perpetrator could have targeted any non-religious property or non-Hindu religious sites such as a mosque, church or gurudwara. The selective targeting of a Hindu temple demonstrates that the act was directed at hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. This overall showcases his inherent hostility towards Hinduism and its adherents. The intent behind this act of desecration by the Muslim man could only possibly be that of provoking Hindus and showing disrespect towards their faith. Since such callous behaviour can only stem from a profound contempt for the Hindu religion, this case deserves to be recorded in this hate tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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