Hindu temple land illegally occupied by encroachers in Betul, Madhya Pradesh
Betul, Madhya Pradesh, India 
31 December, 2025
Case Summary
In the Temurni village of Betul, Madhya Pradesh, a Hindu temple land was encroached upon and illegally occupied by three men named Kala, Namdev and Prakash Gulab. On 1 January 2025, Hindu villagers, including Nitin Dange, Prakash Sahu, Sunil Dange, Tushar Sahu and Parasram, under the leadership of MLA Manoj Jagtap, submitted a memorandum to the Tehsildar in the Athner police station area. The memorandum sought the removal of encroachment from the Vithoba Dev Temple and its surrounding land, which functioned as an established centre of Hindu religious faith. The Hindu villagers stated that the temple land had been illegally occupied for years by Kala, Namdev and Prakash Gulab, preventing the local Hindu community from freely accessing and managing the religious site. Despite the occupation, villagers had continued to observe Hindu festivals such as Ram Navami at the location for several years, highlighting the site’s continued religious significance. The prolonged occupation of the temple land was presented as an infringement on the collective religious rights of the Hindu community in the village. The memorandum demanded immediate administrative action to release the temple from encroachment.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been documented under the primary category: Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under which, the secondary category selected is: Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/land near the 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. This case has been added to the tracker because the Vithoba Dev temple land was encroached upon by three men, Kala, Namdev and Prakash Gulab, who had beed illegaly occupying the religious site for years. It is important to understand here that the temple land or areas around the sacred space are not simply a piece of property; they hold profound religious significance for the Hindu community. For Hindus, both the temple and its land are regarded as the abode of the deity. Thus, any form of encroachment or seizure of temple land is an attack on the religious rights and sentiments of Hindus, disrupting their ability to worship and to maintain their sacred spaces. Any unauthorised occupation of this space, especially one that halts worship and religious observance, is a violation of that sanctity. Such an act, regardless of the identity of the offenders, qualifies as a hate crime due to its religious impact and the targeting of a sacred Hindu site. In this case, the perpetrator's actions were clearly motivated by the intent to undermine the Hindu faith. They targeted a revered religious site because of religious animosity towards the Hindu community. Therefore, this incident has been added to the tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the temple encroachment began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the Hindu villagers submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar, 1 January 2026.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
