Hindu devotees brutally lathi-charged by police during Jagaddhatri Puja immersion in Krishnanagar, West Bengal; officer caught abusing devotees on video
Nadia district, West Bengal, India 
30 October, 2025
Case Summary
Hindu devotees faced police brutality during the immersion procession of Jagaddhatri Puja in Krishnanagar, Nadia district, West Bengal, on 31 October 2025. The incident sparked outrage after a video surfaced showing the Inspector-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, Amalendu Biswas, using abusive language and resorting to force against devotees participating in the religious procession. Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari condemned the incident, accusing the police of unleashing atrocities on Hindus during a sacred festival. Sharing the video on his official X account, Adhikari wrote that the officer’s words and conduct reflected the state administration's view of Hindus under Mamata Banerjee. He further stated that the police failed to maintain law and order despite prior arrangements for the immersion. In response, the Krishnanagar District Police issued an official statement without naming Adhikari, defending their actions. The police claimed that a mild cane charge had been used only to disperse miscreants who allegedly tried to harass and assault female police personnel at Kadamtala Ghat during the immersion procession. They further described attempts to give the incident a communal colour as “inappropriate,” stating that the immersion of more than 200 idols across Krishnanagar was largely peaceful. According to the police, a case was registered at the Kotwali Police Station, and previous records indicate that members of the same Chokerpara Club had been involved in incidents of violence and destruction of government property during earlier immersion processions. However, Hindu devotees and eyewitnesses maintain that the police used excessive force against peaceful participants, disrupting the concluding rituals of the festival. The incident reignited concerns among devotees and Hindu organisations over recurring instances of police high-handedness during Hindu festivals in West Bengal. Many have criticised the administration for what they describe as a pattern of hostility toward Hindu religious gatherings while exhibiting leniency toward other communities. The incident has become a flashpoint in the ongoing political debate over religious bias and state's handling of Hindu cultural events in the state.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category in this case is: Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory under this is: Attack on religious procession. The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. Another subcategory under this is: Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. Another primary category in this case is: Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Another subcategory under this is: Administration restricting religious practice. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. This case has been added to the tracker because it clearly shows how Hindu devotees were mistreated and targeted by the police during a peaceful religious procession in West Bengal. The incident happened during the Jagaddhatri Puja idol immersion in Krishnanagar, Nadia district, on 31 October 2025. Videos from the scene showed police officers, including the local Inspector-in-Charge, using abusive language and force against devotees who were taking part in a traditional Hindu ritual. Such behaviour during a religious event is not only an act of violence but also a serious violation of the right to freely practise one’s religion. Over the past several years, there has been a growing pattern in West Bengal where Hindu festivals, processions, and rituals face interference, restrictions, or police aggression, while events of other communities are handled with care and leniency. This selective treatment shows a clear bias in how the state administration behaves. Under the rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, many such cases have been reported where Hindu religious gatherings were stopped, restricted, or violently dispersed, often under the excuse of maintaining law and order. This has created a situation where Hindus feel unfairly targeted and discriminated against by their own state machinery. In this particular case, the police later claimed that only a “mild cane charge” was used to control “miscreants.” However, eyewitnesses and videos tell a different story. Devotees were peacefully performing the last rituals of the festival when the police suddenly used force and abusive language. Such actions go beyond law enforcement, they show disrespect and hostility towards Hindu religious activities. The way the police defended their actions and refused to acknowledge the officer’s misconduct also shows how the administration often tries to cover up or downplay such incidents. These actions are not just about maintaining order, they reflect a deeper pattern where Hindu religious expressions are treated as a problem to be controlled, not as a part of people’s fundamental rights. Such repeated behaviour by the authorities has created a climate of fear and resentment among Hindu devotees. When incidents like this go unpunished or are justified by the administration, it sends a message that Hindu practices can be attacked or restricted without consequence. The tracker includes this case to highlight how institutional bias and misuse of power can become tools of religious discrimination. In simple terms, this is not just a case of police excess, it is an example of how bias against Hindus is expressed through state authority. It is a hate crime because the victims were targeted while practising their religion, the motive was rooted in prejudice, and the authorities tried to deny or justify the wrongdoing instead of protecting citizens’ rights. Recording such cases ensures that these patterns are documented and recognised, rather than erased or ignored.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
both
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