Case Summary

A Ganesh Visarjan procession was targeted and desecrated in Maindargi village of Akkalkot, Solapur district, Maharashtra, on the evening of 6 September 2025, when a Muslim man, identified as Ibrahim Chand Babude, attempted to spit on the idol of Lord Ganesha. The procession, organised by Shri Virabhadreshwar Ganeshotsav Tarun Mandal and led by Shiva Jakapure, was moving through Naikwadi Gali around 8:30 PM when the incident occurred. Witnesses, including complainant Prathamesh Vijay Pawar and his friends Vikas Chandrakant Jadhav, Nitin Phulari, Guru Jakapure, Sagar Gudal, and Rajendra Mudodgi, stated that Ibrahim was standing on the fence in front of his house and deliberately tried to spit on the idol as the tractor carrying it passed by. The spit missed the idol, landing behind it. When confronted, Ibrahim said, “Did anyone ask you anything when you demolished our dargah?” and later threatened the group with, “Do whatever you want; I will see you,” before leaving. The devotees lodged a formal complaint at Akkalkot South Police Station, stressing that this act of desecration deeply hurt their religious sentiments. An FIR was filed against Ibrahim under BNS Sections 298 & 299. The Hinduphobia Tracker team possesses a copy of the FIR.

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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 category in this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory under this is: Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. This case has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker as it demonstrates a deliberate attack on a Hindu religious procession and a targeted act of desecration of a sacred idol. The attack was not spontaneous but intentionally directed at a central element of Hindu worship during a Ganesh Visarjan procession, a deeply significant ritual for devotees. The assailant’s attempt to spit on the idol, accompanied by provocative remarks referencing a “demolished dargah,” indicates an attitude of hostility rooted in communal animosity and religious resentment. The selected categories reflect two core elements of this crime: first, the deliberate targeting of a Hindu religious procession, a public manifestation of faith that is intrinsic to Hindu traditions and rituals; and second, the desecration of a Hindu religious symbol, which carries spiritual significance and is regarded as an embodiment of the divine by devotees. Such acts, by their very nature, constitute an attack on the religious identity of Hindus and a direct affront to their right to practice and express their faith freely. This incident fits squarely within the definition of a religiously motivated hate crime because the perpetrator’s actions were aimed at humiliating and insulting the Hindu community through a symbolic act of defilement. Documenting such cases is critical for evidencing patterns of hostility toward Hindu religious practices and symbols.