Hindu temple vandalised, sacred idols of deities desecrated by man in Andhra Pradesh
Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India 
3 March, 2026
Case Summary
In Kummarollapalli village under Kadiri town in Sri Sathya Sai district, Andhra Pradesh, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram suffered vandalism, with sacred temple idols desecrated by a man named Kunchapu Venkatesh. According to media reports, the accused, a 34-year-old resident of Murthipalli village in Kadiri mandal, committed this crime on 4 March 2026. Kadiri Town police stated that Venkatesh damaged cement idols of Lord Hanuman and Garutmanta at an ancient Sri Rama temple in the village around 10:30 pm on 4 March. This sparked outrage among local Hindus, prompting police complaints. The police arrested the accused on 6 March 2026. During police interrogation, Venkatesh claimed that he had previously entered a contract with the temple trustees to construct the temple gopuram and arch. After completing part of the work, he discovered the temple management had awarded the remainder to another contractor without paying his dues. Enraged by this, he returned to the temple and vandalised the idols. Following police interrogation, the accused faced judicial remand.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory 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 other subcategory selected 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. This case is a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime as the perpetrator deliberately targeted a Hindu temple, an institution highly revered and considered the divine abode of Hindu deities. By desecrating the temple idols at the Sri Rama temple in Kummarollapalli village under Kadiri town, Sri Sathya Sai district, Andhra Pradesh, the act revealed clear religious motivation. Such actions inflicted not only physical damage but also a direct assault on the faith of the Hindu community, constituting a crime rooted in religious animosity against Hindus, their temples, and their beliefs. The incident caused profound emotional and spiritual harm to the Hindu community, as this temple served as a cherished site of collective devotion and cultural identity. Temple idols form an inseparable part of the temple ecosystem; desecrating them equates to attacking the temple itself, unequivocally marking it as a religiously motivated hate crime. The perpetrator's desecration of the sacred cement idols of Lord Hanuman and Garutmanta highlights the religious animosity even more starkly. These murtis stood not as mere decorations but as deeply revered manifestations of divinity in Hinduism, routinely worshipped through daily rituals and fervent prayers. By targeting them, the accused knowingly struck at the heart of Hindu religious practice. His actions represented a deliberate attempt to wound the sentiments of the Hindu community, driven by targeted hate and hostility rooted in religious animosity. This desecration amounted to an immense affront to the faith and reverence Hindus hold for Lord Hanuman and Garutmanta, firmly qualifying the act as a hate crime against their religion and community. The accused, Kunchapu Venkatesh, claimed he acted out of anger because the temple trustees had awarded his construction contract, for building the gopuram and arch, to another party without settling his dues, despite partial completion of the work. This excuse fails utterly to justify the deliberate desecration of sacred idols; a civil dispute over payment offered no grounds for such a sacrilegious response. Instead, his choice to channel rage specifically towards the temple's holy murtis exposes underlying religious animosity, as he opted to attack symbols of Hindu divinity rather than pursue legal remedies, revealing a calculated intent to humiliate and harm the Hindu faith and its adherents. Overall, as this case fully meets the parameters of a crime motivated by religious animosity towards Hinduism and the Hindu community, it has been documented in the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
