Durga Puja pandal vandalised, pandal organiser physically assaulted by Police officer in Uttar Pradesh
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
18 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the revered Durga Puja festival, a Durga Puja pandal was deliberately vandalised by a police officer named Naveen Kumar Rai. The officer also physically assaulted the Durga Puja organiser and committee president, Nitish. According to reports, a video of the assault on Nitish by the police officer went viral. In the video, the officer was seen slapping Nitish. It also showed that the officer vandalised the pandal set up for the Durga idol. Angered by this act, the Durga Puja committee members stated that the goddess's pandal had been maintained for 18 years without any problems, but Naveen had hurt their Hindu faith by vandalising the pandal. They demanded that he apologise and be dismissed. For the past 18 years, the Shri Shri Durga Puja Yuva Golden Chhatra Committee has been setting up the pandal for the idol at Singhadiya in Gorakhpur during Navratri. On 19th September 2025, at around 1 a.m., Naveen Kumar Rai vandalised the pandal and assaulted Nitish. He also broke Nitish's mobile phone. Amar Nath Nishad, a member of the Durga Puja Yuva Golden Chhatra Committee, said they had always set up pandals during Lakshmi Puja, Ganesh Puja, and Durga Puja, and there had never been a problem. He also said that the pandal had never extended more than two feet into the road. Any officer or person could come and see the pandal. This incident caused unrest over the hurting of Hindu religious sentiments and the abuse of power by a police official.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is- Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Another primary category selected is- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Attacked for supporting/being part of perceived Hindu party/org or working for Hindu community. In several cases, Hindus are attacked specifically or tangentially for their association with parties or organisations perceived to be pro-Hindu and/or for working in favour of the Hindu community. One of the classic cases was the attack against a Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha (BJYM) worker Praveen Nettaru. Nettaru was attacked and hacked to death for his association with Hindu organizations and his work for the Hindu community. He was murdered by PFI, a terror organization which aimed to commit a genocide of Hindus, target Hindu leaders specifically and turn India into an Islamic Nation. In such cases, it is possible that the immediate trigger for the violence is non-religious – either according to the perpetrator or the police. However, there are surrounding circumstances from which the conclusion can be reached that the victim was attacked for his association with a Hindu organization. In a similar case, Rinku Sharma was attacked by radicals. He was a member of Bajrang Dal and regularly worked for the Hindu community. While the police cited a different non-religious trigger for the attack, it is true that he was associated to a Hindu organization and the family of Rinku Sharma specifically attributed his gruesome murder to him working for Bajrang Dal and raising Jai Shree Ram slogans. Such cases are intrinsically driven by religious hate and would therefore be documented as a hate crime under this category. The deliberate vandalism of a Durga Puja pandal by a police officer just before the festival reflects a clear act of religious disrespect and animosity. Durga Puja is one of the most sacred Hindu festivals, and desecrating a pandal is not a mere administrative or personal dispute—it is an assault on Hindu faith itself. The officer’s actions, including physically assaulting the organiser and destroying a place prepared for worship, reveal not just misuse of power but a deep disregard for Hindu religious sentiments. The committee members’ reaction underscores that for 18 years, their celebrations had been peaceful and respectful of public space, which negates any claim that the pandal was obstructing or violating regulations. If such an issue genuinely existed, it could have been handled through normal procedure. The fact that the officer resorted to violence and desecration instead shows that the intent was to humiliate and insult Hindu devotion, not to enforce order. This incident must therefore be seen through the lens of religious hatred and desecration, not simply as misconduct. By targeting a Hindu place of worship during Navratri, the officer symbolically attacked Hindu belief and those who uphold it. The abuse of authority in this context amplifies the hate aspect, as it sends a message that even state power can be used to suppress or insult Hindu religious expression. In essence, this was not just an act of physical vandalism but a deliberate attack on Hindu faith, identity, and dignity—making it a clear case of a hate crime against Hindus.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
