Shivling stolen, brass snake coiled around the Shivling broken
Guna, Madhya Pradesh, India 
2 November, 2024
Case Summary
A Shivling was stolen from an ancient Shiva temple at Baman Chowk in Mrigavas, Guna district, on November 3rd morning. The incident also involved the vandalism of a brass snake idol associated with the Shivling, although other surrounding idols remained intact. The theft occurred between 5 and 7 am, as early worshippers reported the temple intact at 5 am, but by 7 am, the Shivling had been uprooted and taken away. The theft angered the villagers, who closed the market in protest. No shops were opened, and a large gathering of citizens marched to the police station, raising slogans demanding action. The Mrigavas police registered a case against unknown individuals, and an investigation was initiated. Mrigavas police station in-charge Bundel Singh Suneria confirmed the incident and assured that efforts would be made to identify and apprehend the culprits.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the first prime 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. The second sub-category relevant here 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. In this case, the perpetrator stole a Shivling kept inside the Hindu temple and broke the Vasuki, the snake coiled around the Shivling. There could be no other reason than an inherent animosity against Hinduism that led them to commit the offence. Since disrespect for the Hindu religion is the primary purpose behind this incident, this case has been added to the tracker under the following category. It is important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple 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 
