Hanuman temple vandalised in targeted attack on Hindu sacred site
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
11 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Jalali, Aligarh, the Hanuman temple at Vankhandeshwar Mahadev premises was damaged. Hindu groups protested. Police registered a case against one Muslim individual and three unknown persons. In the night, the Hanuman temple within the premises of Vankhandeshwar Mahadev was damaged. Several leaders of Hindu organisations assembled on site and staged a sit-in protest through the night. Police arrived shortly after being informed and assured legal action, but the protestors refused to disperse. By morning, tensions escalated as news of the damage spread to neighbouring villages. Locals gathered in large numbers, leading to the closure of shops across the town in protest. Amidst sloganeering, the police attempted to pacify the crowd. Given the seriousness of the situation, reinforcements from multiple police stations were deployed, and both the SP (Rural) and the SDM remained present at the site to monitor the developments. Later that night, a formal complaint was filed naming one individual from a Muslim community along with three unidentified persons. As the situation grew more intense, heated exchanges took place between a former chairperson and the police when the former attempted to defend the accused at the local outpost. Protestors are now demanding the chairperson’s arrest. In response to the unrest, processions with sticks and batons were taken out in the town, and political leaders, including Thakur Jasveer Singh, Thakur Shalyaraj Singh, Thakur Kushal Pal Singh, and Thakur Dhirendra Pratap Singh, arrived at the scene. At the time of writing this report, the police investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within it 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. In this case, despite understanding that Hindu temples are centres of worship and sanctity, the Muslim perpetrator vandalised the temple. This is a deeply disrespectful act that reflects a lack of regard for Hindu religious beliefs and practices. Such behaviour can be perceived as stemming from animosity towards the religion and its followers, indicating an intentional insult and disregard for the sacred space. Such attacks on the premises of a temple or its devotees demonstrate the inherent Hinduphobia that radical Muslims harbour inside them. For this reason, this case qualifies for inclusion in the hate tracker database. Disclaimer: In this case, one identified perpetrator involved in the vandalism of the Hanuman temple at the Vankhandeshwar Mahadev premises in Aligarh is confirmed to be Muslim, while the identities of the other three accused remain unknown. As a result, the perpetrator count in the database has been recorded as one. If further investigation reveals the identities of the remaining individuals, the data will be updated accordingly.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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