Sacred Hindu temple in Kanpur defiled by Muslim men who urinated inside its premises
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
30 November, 2025
Case Summary
In the Bichipur village of Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu religious customs were defiled after two Muslim men entered a Hindu temple while wearing shoes. The accused also urinated inside the temple premises. According to reports, two Muslim accused, Nizam and Naushad, arrived at the Shivhari Dham on 1 December 2025. They entered the Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple, located inside the dham, while still wearing shoes and began urinating inside the sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha) of the temple, in front of the devotees present. When devotees, including temple trustee Shiv Kumar Dwivedi, confronted them, they abused them and behaved indecently. Shiv Kumar Dwivedi immediately informed local Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch workers, who reached the temple and later accompanied him to submit a written complaint to Ghatampur Assistant Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Yadav. The ACP visited the temple the same evening, inspected the site, and initiated police action. The police registered a case and took both youths into custody. Later that night, Bajrang Dal district convenor Shubham Shaurya Agnihotri and Hindu Jagran Manch district convenor Rakesh Awasthi submitted a memorandum demanding swift action within six hours and warned of protests if the police failed to act. As per the Kanpur police, an FIR was registered against the two Muslim accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected under this 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 other subcategory selected is: Breaking rules of place of worship. 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. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance 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 presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu religious customs were defiled after two Muslim men named Nizam and Naushad entered a Hindu temple while wearing shoes and urinated inside the sanctum sanctorum. Hindu temples are considered sacred spaces where the presence of the deity is central to worship and spiritual practices. Any action that disrupts or alters the sanctity of the temple premises without adherence to its traditions is an act of hostility towards the Hindu faith This incident constituted a direct and deliberate violation of a sacred Hindu space, carried out within the most spiritually significant part of the temple—the garbhagriha, where the deity resides, and daily worship is conducted. Urinating inside the garbhagriha goes far beyond disrespect; it represents an intentional act of desecration and defilement aimed at humiliating Hindu beliefs and degrading the sacredness of a revered religious institution. The nature of the act leaves no room for viewing it as a moment of mischief or impulsive behaviour. The perpetrators’ conduct displayed clear contempt for the Hindu faith and its sacred symbols. The sanctum sanctorum is not merely a physical room but the spiritual heart of the temple where the deity resides and is ritually infused with divine presence through prana pratishtha. By choosing to intrude into the holiest part of the temple and urinating inside it, the perpetrators demonstrated a religious hostility and intent to insult Hinduism, its religious practices, and its devotees. Furthermore, entering a Hindu temple while wearing shoes is strictly prohibited and is regarded as a serious breach of sanctity. Footwear is considered impure in Hindu tradition, and removing it before entering the temple is a fundamental act of disrespect towards the deity and the sacredness of the space. In this case, when Nizam and Naushad walked into the sanctum sanctorum with their shoes on, they violated one of the most basic and universally observed Hindu customs and temple rules. This act also amounted to a deliberate defilement of the temple’s purity, and when combined with their subsequent behaviour, it reflected a conscious intention to insult Hindu traditions and degrade the sanctity of the sacred space. When devotees and the temple trustee objected, Nizam and Naushad responded with abuse and indecent behaviour, further revealing their contempt for both the sanctity of the space and the sentiments of the Hindu community. Their brazenness, carried out within a consecrated temple setting, shows a deliberate attempt to provoke and humiliate the Hindu community. This incident reflects a deeper pattern of targeted hostility wherein Muslim perpetrators intentionally desecrate Hindu places of worship due to underlying religious animosity. Such acts are not random but are rooted in the ideological belief that the sacred symbols of another faith can be mocked, polluted, or destroyed without consequence. Since the perpetrators' actions were motivated by religious animosity, this case has been added to the Hate Crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
