Bomb explodes near Shiv Mandir in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir
Punch, Jammu and Kashmir, India 
15 November, 2023
Case Summary
On Wednesday, November 16, a blast occurred near a bus stand close to a Shiv Mandir in the Surankote area of Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir. Following the explosion, shrapnel was discovered on the walls of the Hindu temple. Notably, exactly one month earlier, on October 14, mysterious posters surfaced in Poonch district, threatening Hindu and Sikh families to evacuate their homes. The posters, plastered across numerous residences, issued warnings of dire consequences if they failed to vacate their properties.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
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.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
