Hindu devotees duped and financially exploited by Muslims pretending to Hindu 'healers' in Uttar Pradesh
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India 
8 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Bhagat Nagariya village, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu gods, religious symbols, and sentiments were insulted by some Muslims who fraudulently posed as Hindus. The accused were offering fake medical treatment and performing an exorcism inside a Hindu temple named Bhagat Nagariya temple. According to reports, the accused concealed their true identities and targeted Hindu devotees, taking money on the pretext of curing various illnesses and carrying out religious rituals. When local villagers became aware of the deception and protested, the perpetrators immediately hid their identities and fled the scene. Upon receiving information about the incident, Bajrang Dal workers, a Hindu organisation, arrived at the temple to intervene. Block convenor Rohit Tiwari, Block co-convenor Kuldeep Lavania, and other Hindu activists protested these fraudulent activities and informed the police. The police stated that the matter would be investigated thoroughly and that strict action would be taken against those responsible.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu villagers were deceived, and Hindu religious sentiments were insulted by Muslim individuals who fraudulently posed as Hindus. The perpetrators conducted so-called healing and exorcism rituals inside the Bhagat Nagariya temple. The accused deliberately misused Hindu deities, symbols, and rituals to gain the trust of devotees and extract money under the guise of offering divine treatment. They presented themselves as spiritual figures capable of curing ailments and performing exorcisms, creating an illusion of religious authenticity to deceive innocent Hindu devotees. Such actions deeply disrespected the Hindu faith and reduced its sacred traditions to tools of manipulation and fraud. By operating inside a temple and employing Hindu practices, the perpetrators exploited the devotion of the villagers for personal economic gain. Their act of hiding their true identities and fleeing when confronted further demonstrated the premeditated and deceitful nature of their activities. Hindu traditions are passed down over centuries and hold extreme importance in the life of devotees. When an individual exploits these symbols, rituals, and traditions with the intent to deceive, it constitutes not merely fraud but also an attack on religious representations and sacred practices. The use of Hindu gods, rituals, and temple space to mislead devotees reveals a conscious disregard for the sanctity of the faith and an attempt to erode trust within the Hindu community. Such misuse of Hindu faith and rituals within a temple setting makes this incident a clear case of religious fraud and an affront to Hindu religious dignity. Given that this case involves the continuous undermining and disrespect of the Hindu faith, its gods, and its symbols, as well as their exploitation for fraudulent purposes, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when the crime began, rather than when it is reported by the media. However, in this case, the report does not provide specific details about when the accused commenced these activities. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as the date it was reported in the media—9 October 2025. This date is used as an indicative date of the incident.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
