Severed cow ears found near temple wall in Chhattisgarh
Simga, Chhattisgarh, India 
12 April, 2025
Case Summary
In the Simga police station area in Chhattisgarh, four severed cow ears were found near a temple wall. The complainant, 23-year-old Tukesh Sonkar, a resident of Mahamaya Para, informed the police that on 13 April, while he was at the Mahamaya Temple arranging items for Hanuman Janmotsav prasad distribution, he, along with Dhananjay and Omkar Sonkar, noticed the severed ears near the Shri Radha Krishna temple adjacent to the Mahamaya Temple wall. The mutilated remains were seen scattered around the temple premises, leading to distress among devotees. The site inspection was carried out by a Station House Officer, who also informed senior police officials. Additional Superintendent of Police and Bhathapara Town SHO later reached the location to conduct a further assessment. The police began analysing CCTV footage from surrounding homes to identify the unknown perpetrator. A case was registered.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The sub-category relevant in this case 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. The other sub-category relevant in this case 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. This case qualifies as a hate crime because the act of severing and placing cow ears near the temple wall was not a random or isolated incident but have been carried out with the specific intent to insult and provoke the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees. In Sanatan Dharma, the cow is regarded as sacred and revered as a symbol of life and nurturing. Any act of cruelty towards cows, particularly in or around temple premises, violates long-standing religious traditions and deeply held beliefs of the worshipping community. The deliberate placement of mutilated parts near the temple further suggests a targeted attempt to desecrate a sacred space and disrupt the sanctity of worship, thus constituting an attack on Hindu religious representation and customs. Moreover, such an act aligns with the broader pattern of defiling religious customs, where traditions—passed orally or otherwise—hold central importance in the practice of faith. The placement of the remains within the temple premises not only disrespects the physical sanctity of the temple but also reveals animosity towards the religious customs associated with the temple and the deity it houses. The action, therefore, is not just criminal in nature but religiously motivated, driven by an intent to offend, disturb, or provoke a particular religious group, thereby falling squarely under the definition of a hate crime. It is important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed from hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
