Chhath Puja celebrations disrupted in Muslim-dominated village; Hindu women devotees abused and molested by Muslim men
Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
27 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Kohargaddi village, a Muslim-dominated village under the jurisdiction of Khadda Police Station in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, the celebrations of Chhath Puja, a revered Hindu festival, were disrupted by Muslim men. The accused also abused and molested Hindu women devotees participating in the festival. Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and his sister, Chhathi Maiya, celebrated mainly in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Nepal. It is observed over four days, involving rituals like fasting, holy bathing, and offering prayers to the setting and rising sun to express gratitude and seek blessings for health, prosperity, and well-being. The festival emphasises a deep connection between humanity and nature, particularly valuing the life-giving energy of the sun. Devotees gather at riverbanks or water bodies to perform these rituals, showcasing a rich cultural and spiritual heritage. According to media reports, the incident occurred on the morning of 28th October 2025, around 7 a.m., after some Muslim youths misbehaved with Hindu women observing Chhath Puja. The women were returning home after performing prayers at the ghat (riverbank) when the youths molested them. They also hurled abuse at the Hindu victims. As news of the incident spread, people from both Hindu and Muslim communities confronted each other, creating a tense situation in the village. However, prompt police intervention brought the situation under control. Station House Officer Girjesh Upadhyay, accompanied by police personnel, arrived on the scene and restored peace. The Hindu villagers filed a complaint against four Muslim youths from the same village and demanded strict action. They stated that disruptions during Chhath Puja celebrations had occurred twice previously in the area. Additionally, they reported that on Friday, 24th October 2025, the Chhath Puja altar of a Hindu man named Santosh Yadav had been desecrated by unknown miscreants. Station House Officer Girjesh Upadhyay confirmed that a case had been registered based on the complaint and that necessary action was underway. At the time of writing this report, the situation is normal, but as a precautionary measure, a police team is continuously monitoring the area.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, the primary category selected is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. 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. Another primary category selected is- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the subcategory selected 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. The other subcategory selected is- Attacked for crossing 'Muslim area'. One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. This case is a clear and unequivocal instance of a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus and their sacred festivals, as the Muslim perpetrators deliberately disrupted the celebrations of the holy Chhath Puja. This festival holds profound religious significance for Hindus, honouring the Sun God and seeking blessings for health, prosperity, and well-being. The deliberate disruption of such a sacred festival, fully aware of its importance, exposes the deep-seated religious animosity the accused harboured against Hindu traditions and Hinduism itself. It constitutes an intentional act of undermining and insulting a revered Hindu religious festival and desecrating the sanctity of the Chhath tradition. The Muslim perpetrators not only violated the sanctity of Chhath Puja but also molested and abused Hindu women devotees who observed the festival with fasting and devotion. This sort of attack on Hindu devotees during a sacred celebration demonstrates blatant disrespect for their faith and beliefs and reveals entrenched religious hostility toward Hinduism and its followers, categorising this unequivocally as a religiously motivated hate crime. It is also important to note that this incident occurred in a Muslim-dominated village; hence, it is crucial to note that Muslims often consider areas where their community is in the majority as "Muslim areas." This reveals a disturbing sense of Islamic supremacy held by the attackers, who in this case viewed the Muslim dominated village as an exclusive zone where non-Muslims, particularly Hindus, were unwelcome. This sense of entitlement and superiority reflects deep-seated prejudice and an attempt to assert religious dominance over public spaces. The assault on Hindu devotees was motivated by Islamic supremacist ideology, whereby Muslims in the region demeaned Hindus and asserted control over who may move freely and celebrate their festivals. Such conduct epitomises an intolerant, exclusionary, and hostile religious mindset, marking this case as a prime example of a crime fuelled by religious animosity. Hindu devotees further stated that Chhath Puja celebrations had been previously disrupted on two occasions by Muslim individuals. This highlights that the incident was not isolated but forms part of a persistent pattern targeting and desecrating a deeply sacred Hindu festival. This ongoing pattern exemplifies religiously motivated hostility behind the crime. Moreover, media reports state that on 24th October 2025, the Chhath altar of a Hindu devotee named Santosh Yadav was desecrated by unknown miscreants. The altar is a profoundly symbolic and sacred aspect of the festival, symbolising devotion and the spiritual bond between the Earth and the Sun God. Its desecration constitutes a severe affront to the victim’s faith and the wider Hindu devotee community, representing another clear act of religiously motivated hate crime. This incident further evidences a continuous pattern of attacks on Chhath Puja celebrations, solidifying this case as one not only of disruption but of sustained religious hostility. Given these factors, this case has been duly added to the hate crime database maintained by the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: While this case primarily concerns the incident of 28th October 2025, where Hindu women were abused and molested and the Chhath Puja celebrations were disrupted by Muslim individuals, media reports also briefly mention the prior desecration of a Hindu devotee’s Chhath altar on 24th October 2025 by unknown miscreants. This earlier incident has also been formally documented and categorised in this case under the subcategory “Desecration of Hindu religious symbol” to accurately reflect its nature.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
