Hindu temple land encroached by land mafia, leading to suspension of temple rituals
Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
30 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Fardhan town of Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, land belonging to an ancient Shiva temple was illegally grabbed, directly disrupting the sacred rituals performed daily by local Hindu devotees. The encroachment, which included the filling of a sacred well and obstruction of access to the temple because of the unauthorised structures, has rendered worship nearly impossible for the community. This desecration of sacred land triggered widespread outrage among Hindus. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal protested against the unauthorised structures around the ancient Shiva temple, demanding the removal of the encroachments. The protest was led by a youth organisation member named Raghav. Upon receiving information about the protest, the Naib Tehsildar (Deputy Revenue Officer) Sadar Alok Mishra, accompanied by revenue officials Kshama Pandey and Ramsurat, and a large police force led by Fardhan police station in-charge Dayashankar Dwivedi, arrived at the site. After inspecting the temple, the officials assured the protesters that a committee would be formed to investigate the matter and that appropriate legal action would be taken. The administration also stated that the illegal encroachments on the temple land would be cleared within 10 to 15 days. After receiving this assurance, the activists ended their protest.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under two primary categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations, and under this, the sub-category selected is- Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/ land near 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. The other primary category selected here is- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Within this, the sub-category under which the case has been placed is- Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. In this incident, land belonging to an ancient Shiva temple in Fardhan, Lakhimpur Kheri, was illegally encroached upon, leading to the disruption of sacred rituals and daily worship. The encroachment involved filling in a sacred well and obstructing the access route to the temple. This constitutes a hate crime against Hindus. The temple land is not simply a piece of property; it holds profound religious significance for the Hindu community. For Hindus, both the temple and its land are regarded as the abode of the deity. 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. The encroachment did not just obstruct physical access; it also denied the Hindu community the ability to express their religious identity through rituals, temple visits, and devotional practices. The suspension of religious activities at the Shiva temple due to the unauthorised construction imposed a serious restriction on collective Hindu worship. While the perpetrators remain unknown, the effect of their actions was the same as any targeted attack: it curtailed the fundamental right of Hindus to freely practise their faith. In such cases, the motivation may remain unidentified, but the outcome reflects a clear suppression of religious expression, which is central to the definition of a hate crime. It is also important to mention here that, though the last update confirmed that the perpetrators of the encroachment remain unknown, the nature of the act — the illegal takeover of land belonging to a sacred Shiva temple, the filling of a holy well, and the obstruction of access to the temple — clearly reflects animosity toward Hindu religious spaces. The impact of the encroachment was the complete disruption of daily worship and rituals. Regardless of the identity of the offenders, the deliberate violation of a Hindu temple’s sanctity constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime. Such acts represent an assault on Hindu beliefs and practices and must therefore be documented in the Hinduphobia Tracker under the hate crime database. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the encroachment began. However, it mentions that Hindu devotees and activists protested against the encroachment on 1st July 2025. Therefore, for the purpose of documentation, we have considered 1st July 2025 as the date of the incident.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
