Hindu Temple desecrated, Muslim man urinates near a Shivling inside the temple; police claims 'mental illness'
Murshidabad, West Bengal, India 
30 October, 2023
Case Summary
In the Kandar village in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, a Muslim man named Ara Sheikh was caught on camera urinating near the Shiv Ling inside a Hindu temple. The incident, which took place on October 31st, triggered widespread outrage after the video went viral on the internet. The police swiftly arrested the accused, identified as Ara Sheikh, son of Ratan Sheikh. The incident occurred in the Salar Block of Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Initially, the accused was seen engaging in an argument with another man before proceeding to urinate near the idol despite attempts by others to stop him. The police further claimed that the accused was 'mentally disturbed/unstable'.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
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 Muslim man urinated near the Hindu idol underscoring the deep-rooted hostility towards Hinduism. It is revealed in the case details that even after devotees tried to stop him, he desecrated the temple and urinated near the idol installed inside the temple. The motivation of the crime was scriptural and theological animosity against Hindus, Hinduism and the representations of Hinduism. Here, even the police downplayed the communal nature of the crime by claiming that the accused was 'mentally unstable'. This claim represents a common trope used to deflect attention from the religious motivations behind hate crimes against Hindu places of worship, portraying the act as stemming from mental illness rather than religious animosity. Authorities often downplay such communal crimes and often attribute the offence to the accused's mental health. This narrative has appeared repeatedly in cases targeting Hindus and their religious symbols, obscuring the true intent of religious hatred. Many times, police minimise incidents of low-level communal crime to protect their jurisdiction from scrutiny. They frequently cite the accused's mental instability as the cause, aiming to prevent any flare-up in the area following the initial offence. However, this explanation rang hollow in this instance. If the accused was truly mentally unstable, why did he target only a Hindu temple for desecration and not a mosque or other non-Hindu places of worship? This selective targeting and desecration of a Hindu temple exposed deep-seated hatred for Hinduism and its sacred spaces, confirming the religiously motivated nature of the offence. Given that the fundamental motivation behind this incident is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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