Hindu devotees attacked during Durga idol immersion in Hyderabad; eggs and stones hurled at procession, idol desecrated
Hyderabad, Telangana, India 
3 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Hyderabad’s Chaderghat area, Hindu devotees participating in a Durga idol immersion procession were attacked with eggs and stones. The incident took place around midnight when the procession, carrying the idol of Goddess Durga for immersion at Hussainsagar, passed through the Akbarbagh locality. Devotees in the procession reported that eggs were hurled at the idol and participants, sparking outrage and deep hurt among the Hindu community. Angered by the desecration attempt, the organisers halted the procession and raised slogans condemning the attack. The situation quickly turned tense as more devotees gathered at the spot, demanding action. Police officials, sensing the gravity of the situation, rushed to the scene with additional forces, cordoning off the area to prevent escalation. Security personnel surrounded an apartment building from where the eggs were thrown, and teams entered to question the occupants. However, no outsiders were found inside. Rapid Action Force and Task Force units were deployed to maintain control, and the police later persuaded the devotees to resume the immersion procession under heavy protection. Following the incident, security was tightened across communally sensitive parts of the city, and the police remained on high alert. “A case has been registered at Chaderghat police station, and the investigation is underway,” said S. Chaitanya Kumar, DCP (South East), while assuring that the situation was under control. On Sunday, patrolling continued in the area, and police restricted the entry of political or religious leaders to prevent further provocation. Three special teams have been formed to identify those responsible for the attack. The incident has caused deep anguish among Hindu devotees, as the act of pelting eggs and stones at a Durga idol during immersion reflects blatant disrespect towards Hindu religious sentiments and an attempt to disrupt a peaceful religious procession.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker's Hate Crime database under two primary categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The first subcategory selected under this 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. The second 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 second category under which this incident has been placed is- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the first subcategory 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 second subcategory chosen 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 attack on the Durga idol immersion procession was not a random act of mischief but a deliberate attempt to insult and provoke the Hindu community. Targeting a religious procession, especially one carrying an idol of Goddess Durga, during a sacred ritual reveals a clear intent to hurt Hindu religious sentiments and disrupt their peaceful observance of faith. Throwing eggs and stones at the idol and devotees reflects deep contempt for Hindu customs and symbols of worship. Such actions are meant to humiliate the devotees publicly, desecrate what is sacred to them, and send a message that their religious expressions are not safe or respected. By interfering with an age-old ritual like Durga Visarjan, the perpetrators sought not only to defile a sacred image but also to undermine the right of Hindus to celebrate their traditions freely and without fear. The act, therefore, represents an open display of hostility toward Hindu beliefs and an assault on the dignity of the community as a whole. It is also important to mention here that, though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed from hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred idol and attack on devotees involved in their religious event, and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
