Muslim men block road to Santoshi Mata temple for 50 years by encroaching govt land

Case Summary
A Santoshi Mata Temple in Gujarat's Dwarka district, closed for nearly 50 years, was reopened after authorities removed illegal encroachments created by a group of Muslim men. The temple, located in the Khambalia area, had been inaccessible to the Hindu community due to the obstruction of the road leading to it. The accused, Hanif, Suleman, Ghafar, Abbas, and Omar, had reportedly conspired to encroach on government land by forging fake documents. Following a complaint lodged by the temple priest’s family, Dwarka Police initiated an investigation and confirmed the illegal encroachment. Under the directives of District Police Chief Nitesh Pandey, the encroached area was cleared on December 18, 2024. The demolition of the illegal structures allowed the Hindu community to resume Pooja rituals in the temple after decades. An FIR was registered, and three of the accused were arrested, while the other two are deceased. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi praised the swift police action. He stated, “50-year-old Santoshi Mata temple in Khambalia, Dwarka, was blocked by Hanif Suleman, Gafar and Umar. Police took swift action an FIR was filed, and the encroachment cleared!”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under two prime categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations and under this, the sub-category selected is- Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/ land near temple. 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. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The category selected here is- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Within this, the sub-category under which the case has been placed is- Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. The encroachment on the land near the Santoshi Mata Temple, orchestrated by a group of Muslim men, obstructed access to the temple and hindered the performance of Hindu religious rituals for nearly five decades. This act of encroachment not only involved the illegal takeover of temple land but also served as a direct attack on the Hindu community's ability to worship and express their religious identity freely. By blocking access to the temple, the perpetrators effectively restricted the expression of Hindu beliefs and practices, depriving Hindus of their right to perform rituals and connect with their faith. This intentional act of hindrance reflects a deep-seated hostility towards Hinduism, as it directly interfered with the freedom of Hindus to practice their religion and maintain their religious identity. It, therefore, qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime, driven by a desire to provoke and harass Hindus through the restriction of their religious rights.

Case Status
Arrested

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male