Attack on Hindu places of worship: Ancient Hindu temple in Punjab faces attempted encroachment
Nabha, Punjab, India 
11 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Nabha city of Patiala district, Punjab, an attempt was made to illegally encroach on the premises of an ancient Hindu temple. The accused was a brother of an Indian politician. According to reports, there was an attempt to encroach upon the ancient Shri Durga Temple located at Maisar Khana Mode in Nabha by the brother of a sitting MLA. The accused, along with some anti-social elements, acted in collusion to seize control of the temple premises. The situation escalated when the accused and his associates intimidated members of the temple committee and unlawfully locked them inside the temple compound. The temple holds deep religious and cultural significance for the local Hindu community and attracts numerous devotees daily. The attempt to encroach on the temple caused widespread outrage among worshippers and community leaders. Following the incident, Shri Sanatan Dharma Punjab Mahavir Dal, a Hindu organisation, convened a meeting under the leadership of District President Naresh Chadha, with key participation from Janak Raj Bawa and District Working President Pawan Kumar. In their statements, both leaders condemned the act, describing it as a direct assault on Hindu religious institutions and sentiments. The temple committee submitted a written complaint, and a case was registered by the police. However, despite the seriousness of the offence, no arrests had been made, prompting community leaders to announce that protests would be launched if strict action was not taken against the accused.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/ land near temple. 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. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. In this case, it is important to state that for Hindus, temples are not merely structures of worship but sacred institutions embodying the living presence of the Divine. A Hindu temple is revered as the abode of the deity, and the idol within is considered a physical manifestation of that deity. Every part of the temple—from its sanctum to its outer premises and the land surrounding it—is consecrated ground, symbolising purity, devotion, and spiritual heritage. The temple, therefore, holds immense emotional and religious significance for the Hindu community, forming the very heart of their collective faith and daily worship. In this context, the attempted encroachment upon the temple premises in Punjab, by the accused—fully aware of its sanctity—was a grave act of disrespect towards Hindu sentiments. It reflected a deliberate attempt to undermine the Hindu faith and to hurt the religious feelings of the community. Such actions not only cause deep distress among devotees but also instil fear and insecurity. This conscious violation of a sacred space constitutes a deliberate attempt to hurt religious sentiments and is clearly a religiously motivated act. The temple committee members also revealed that the accused not only attempted encroachment upon the temple premises but had also issued threats and locked them in. This further reinforces the religiously motivated nature of the crime. In this case, even though the religious identity of the encroachers remains unknown, this act was motivated by hostility towards the Hindu faith, its temples and the religious beliefs of the Hindu community. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the date of an incident based on when the crime actually occurred, rather than when it is reported in the media. It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the encroachment began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date of the incident as it was reported in the media - 11 October 2025. This date is used as an indicative date for this case. Media reports state that the accused, along with his associates, attempted to encroach upon the Hindu temple. The primary accused is the brother of the MLA. However, the total number of his associates involved in the attempted encroachment is not known. For the purpose of documentation, we are recording the perpetrator count as '1', referring only to the MLA's brother.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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