Durga Puja immersion processions attacked in Cuttack, Muslim mob pelt stones and hurl glass bottles at the devotees
Cuttack, Odisha, India 
4 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Cuttack, Odisha, communal tensions flared after Durga Puja idol immersion processions in the Hatipokhari and Darghabazar areas came under attack from a Muslim mob. The accused disrupted the procession, pelted stones and hurled glass bottles at the devotees. In what transpired, the Hindu religious procession, organised by the Jhanjhirimangala Puja Committee, was carrying the Durga idol towards Debigara on the banks of the Kathajodi river for immersion. As the procession passed through the Hatipokhari area, members of the Muslim community objected to the music being played, leading to a confrontation. They began pelting stones and hurling glass bottles at the devotees. Several nearby shops and vehicles parked along the roadside were damaged in the attack, forcing the procession to halt midway. The situation deteriorated further when another Hindu religious procession, the Rausapatna Durgakali procession, too came under attack from local Muslims when it overtook the halted procession and proceeded towards the Darghabazar police station area. Vehicles carrying around fifty idols from various community Durga Pujas were stranded for hours due to the violence. Deputy Commissioner of Police Rishikesh Khilari sustained an eye injury while trying to control the mob, and several other police personnel were also injured. Additional security forces were deployed to restore order, and the immersion was eventually completed under heavy police protection. Following tension between members of the two groups, causing violent incidents in Cuttack City areas, the Odisha government imposed a 36-hour curfew and prohibited the use and access of social media platforms. Meanwhile, the VHP called for a 12-hour Bandh on Monday (October 6).
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected 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. The other sub-category selected here 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 sub-category selected here is - Communal clash/attack. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious; however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. This case has been added to the tracker because it represents a direct and targeted attack on a Hindu religious procession, constituting a hate crime against Hindus. The incident in Cuttack was not merely a dispute over music but an orchestrated assault on a sacred Hindu ritual, aimed at obstructing the peaceful expression of the Hindu faith during one of its most revered festivals, Durga Puja. The music was merely a pretext, and based on this, they launched a violent attack on Hindu devotees, pelting stones and hurling bottles, demonstrating a deliberate attempt to disrupt a Hindu religious observance. Such an extreme and disproportionate reaction to a minor issue reflected premeditated communal hostility towards Hindus. It is important to note that the Muslim mob carried stones and glass bottles, indicating that the attack was not spontaneous but premeditated and carefully coordinated. The possession of such weapons requires prior preparation, material collection, and planning among participants, proving that this was an organised assault. Although the mob claimed to have been provoked by the DJ, the evident preparation shows that the violence was preplanned, and the music was merely used as an excuse to attack the Hindu devotees. The attackers targeted the Durga Puja idol immersion procession, a deeply significant religious ritual for Hindus. The procession marks the symbolic farewell of Goddess Durga as devotees carry her idol for immersion in a water body, signifying her return to her divine cosmic abode after being worshipped during the Durga Puja festival. These processions carry profound reverence for the Hindu community, symbolising both spiritual devotion and cultural identity. Attacking such a procession was a direct assault on Hindu religious practices and beliefs, constituting a religiously motivated crime. The attack spread further as another procession, the Rausapatna Durgakali immersion, was similarly targeted near the Darghabazar police station. Vehicles carrying around fifty idols remained stranded for hours amid the unrest. This shows that violence was not isolated but rather aimed at restricting the outward expression of Hindu identity through violence. Such acts of aggression against Hindu devotees engaged in religious worship underline a growing pattern of intolerance and hostility towards public expressions of Hindu faith. The targeting of devotees, identifiable by their participation in a religious ritual, demonstrates that the violence was directed not at individuals randomly but at Hindus practising their faith collectively. The incident was designed to instil fear, disrupt Hindu religious life, and assert communal dominance in public spaces. Taken together, these facts demonstrated that this was a communally motivated attack against Hindus, reflecting deep-rooted hostility towards their faith and community. Such actions were driven by religious animosity and targeted prejudice, fitting the parameters of a religiously motivated hate crime. Accordingly, this case has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker as a religiously motivated hate crime and an attack on Hindu devotees and religious processions.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
