Hindu temple idol desecrated as miscreant places footwear on sacred idol, police claims accused is "mentally unstable"
Belur, Karnataka, India 
20 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Belur town, located in the Hassan district of Karnataka, a sacred idol of Lord Ganesha at a temple was desecrated by a woman named Leelavati. The accused had placed a pair of slippers on the Ganesha idol. According to media reports, the incident occurred on 21st September 2025 at the Vidya Ganapati Temple, leading to outrage among the locals. The footwear was noticed by locals who routinely visited the temple in the morning to offer prayers. The locals staged a protest demanding action against the accused responsible for the incident. However, after analysing the CCTV footage, the police identified the accused, Leelavati, and claimed that she was mentally unstable. The CCTV footage showed the accused's face covered with a cloth and indicated a similarity between the footwear she wore when entering the temple and the pair placed on the idol. Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sujeetha and local officials visited the site to calm the protesters and assess the situation. A case was registered based on a complaint by temple officials. The Superintendent of Police assured the protesters that justice would be served and informed them that teams had been formed to apprehend the accused. Following this, the police arrested Leelavati. The Superintendent of Police stated, “Leelavati left Hassan at 8:30 pm on Saturday (20th September 2025) and boarded a bus to Belur. She later travelled to Chikkamagaluru and then returned to Belur. She went to the Town Municipal Office premises, where the temple is located. Her movements were recorded on the CCTV cameras. She was taken into custody at her home in Hassan. A medical examination is required. Family members informed us that she had behaved similarly at home.” Meanwhile, the temple priests performed a purification ritual for the desecrated Ganapati idol. Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Member of the Legislative Council C T Ravi, who visited the temple with Belur Member of the Legislative Assembly H K Suresh, condemned the act, calling it an attempt to “instigate Hindus” and demanded a comprehensive probe to identify those behind it.
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- 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 is a stark example of a hate crime against Hindus. In Belur town, a woman deliberately placed a pair of footwear on a sacred idol of Lord Ganesha—an act that is deeply offensive and hateful towards the Hindu community. In Hindu belief, idols of deities are not mere decorations but living embodiments of the divine. These idols, especially those housed in temples, are central to the religious lives of millions and form the core of regular worship. To place footwear on such an idol is an unequivocal act of desecration, reflecting clear religious animosity towards Hinduism and its sacred symbols. Temples and their idols represent sanctuaries where devotees find peace, solace, and spiritual refuge. Desecrating these idols causes profound emotional and spiritual pain to devotees, leaving them feeling vulnerable in their faith. Such acts are not mere desecration—they are deliberate assaults on the dignity and identity of Hindus, magnifying the sense of insecurity felt by the community at large. It is also critical to address the police claim that the perpetrator was mentally unstable, a position supported by the accused’s family. This claim is a common trope used to deflect attention from the religious motivations behind crimes against Hindu places of worship, suggesting the act was due to mental illness rather than religious animosity. Often, authorities downplay these communal crimes to maintain peace in their jurisdiction, attributing the offence to the accused’s mental health to prevent further unrest. This narrative has been used repeatedly in cases where crimes were committed against Hindus and their religious symbols, allowing the true intent, religious hatred, to be obscured. However, this explanation is unconvincing here. The accused deliberately concealed her identity by covering her face, suggesting premeditation rather than impulsive behaviour. If mental instability were truly the cause, why was the act focused specifically on a Hindu idol, leaving other religious sites untouched? This selective targeting reveals deep-seated hatred for Hinduism and its sacred spaces, confirming the religiously motivated nature of the offence. In fact, the Hinduphobia Tracker has previously documented many cases where this strategy has been used by the police to downplay such incidents where the crime was committed against Hindu places of worship, for example, on 29th June 2025, in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, six Hindu temples were targeted and vandalised by unknown miscreants. The assailants also desecrated the idols of Hindu deities inside the temples. Following the investigation, the police claimed that the accused was mentally unstable. In another instance, on 7th March 2025, in Baruipur city in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, the idol of Goddess Shitala was set on fire by a Muslim man identified as Sheikh Indu. Even in this case, the police claimed that the accused was mentally challenged. Given these facts, this particular case meets the criteria of a religiously motivated hate crime. Therefore, it has been added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
