Hindu temple vandalised by over 30 individuals in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh

Case Summary
A Hindu temple in the Bada Bazar area of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, was vandalised by a group of approximately 30 masked men. During the attack, they also targeted Hindus who attempted to defend the temple, resulting in injuries to Anuj Jadiya and Babu Jadiya. The incident led to protests by Hindu organizations and residents, who surrounded the Kotwali police station, demanding action against the accused. The dispute stemmed from the construction of a Jain temple and Dharamshala in the area, which had caused long-standing tension. Several families had been displaced during the construction. A temple belonging to the Soni and Jadiya communities became a focal point of the conflict when residents noticed damage to it. Babu Jadiya, one of the injured, said that their family deity's temple near Paras Temple was attacked by a group of 20 to 25 masked individuals. The mob reportedly locked the temple's main door and began vandalizing it. When Jadiya and others tried to intervene, the accused assaulted them before fleeing the scene. This incident escalated anger among the Hindus, who, along with members of various Hindu organizations, gathered in large numbers to protest. The demonstrators raised slogans against the police, administration, and the local MLA, demanding that the culprits be arrested. They urged the authorities to register a case against those involved in the vandalism. Additional SP Lokesh Sinha arrived at the scene to calm the situation and assured that action would be taken following a thorough investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the two prime categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representation. Under this, the sub-category selected 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. The second category under which this case has been placed is- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. In this case, despite understanding that Hindu temples are centres of worship and sanctity, the miscreants not only vandalised a Hindu temple but also assaulted the Hindus who tried to save their place of worship. The deliberate vandalism of a Hindu temple and the subsequent assault on individuals attempting to protect their sacred site highlights a direct attack on the sanctity of Hindu places of worship. By targeting a religious centre, the perpetrators displayed a clear disregard for its cultural and spiritual significance. Additionally, the assault on devotees underscores hostility toward those standing against such radical acts. Consequently, this incident has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime and added to the Hinduphobia tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 2
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 2
- General 0
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 2

Case Status
Complaint filed

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
male