Beef found thrown in the Hindu temple premises during Bihu festival
Karimganj, Assam, India 
14 April, 2025
Case Summary
During the Bihu festival in Assam's Sribhumi district, at the Bhairav Temple in Datta village, Neelambazar, beef was found within the temple premises. The discovery was made by local residents living near the temple, who noticed pieces of meat lying inside the sacred area. Following the discovery, the local police were informed, and a team from Neelambazar Police Station arrived promptly at the scene. During the investigation, identification documents, including an Aadhaar and PAN card, were found at the site, which helped trace the individual suspected of involvement in the act. The police secured the area and began collecting evidence to support the inquiry. A man named Fakaruddin was arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities confirmed that he was being questioned to determine the motive. Investigations were ongoing to understand whether the act was part of a deliberate attempt to provoke religious sentiments.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The first sub-category relevant in this case is- Attack on 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. 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 second sub-category under which this case has been placed 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. The other 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. This incident constitutes a hate crime as it involved the deliberate placement of beef within the premises of a Hindu temple at the beginning of the Bihu festival. In Hinduism, the cow is revered as holy, and the presence of beef in a temple not only violates religious sensibilities but also defiles a deeply sacred space. The timing of the act, coinciding with a major Hindu celebration, and the location—inside a temple—point to an intent to provoke and offend religious sentiments. The act cannot be viewed merely as a breach of law and order but as a calculated attempt to dishonour Hindu religious customs, particularly those linked to temple purity and ritual observance. The fact that the perpetrator was a Muslim further underscores the religious dimension of the offence, marking it as a religiously motivated attack aimed at humiliating and provoking the Hindu community.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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