Hindu religious place desecrated: Muslim man deliberately urinates inside a temple
Pune, Maharashtra, India 
1 May, 2025
Case Summary
Tensions escalated in Paud village, Pune, Maharashtra, following an incident where a Muslim youth, identified as 19-year-old Chand Shaikh, was captured on CCTV urinating on an idol of Goddess Annapurna at the Nageshwar Temple. The highly offensive and disrespectful act enraged the local Hindu community, who, upon discovering the footage, confronted the accused and his father, Naushad Shaikh (44). Instead of showing any remorse, the father, Naushad, made provocative statements, claiming, “You Hindus can’t do anything to us,” which further aggravated the situation. The villagers then approached the police, reporting that Chand Shaikh had desecrated the idol and also filed a complaint against Naushad Shaikh for using abusive and threatening language towards the village. Police have filed a case against both Chand Shaikh and his father. As of the date of this report, the investigation was currently ongoing to gather evidence. A protest march was organised on 3rd May, where locals chanted slogans such as "Jai Shri Ram" and "Pakistan Murdabad" to express their outrage over the incident.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within it the sub-category 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. The other sub-category relevant here 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 case has been added to the tracker because Chand Shaikh deliberately desecrated the idol of Goddess Annapurna by urinating on it while the temple was closed. This indicates a clear intent to insult and provoke Hindu religious sentiments. His actions were not accidental or incidental but appeared to be a conscious and targeted act of disrespect against a deeply revered symbol within Hinduism. This desecration reflects animosity toward Hindu religious representations, as murtis and icons form a vital part of daily worship and spiritual practice in Sanatan Dharma. Further compounding the matter, his father, Naushad Shaikh, not only failed to condemn his son's act but instead justified it by mocking the local community, stating, “You Hindus can’t do anything to us,” thereby providing implicit support and displaying open disdain for the Hindu faith and its followers. The conduct of both Chand and Naushad Shaikh reveals a mindset rooted in religious intolerance and hostility toward Hindu beliefs and customs. Such actions are not isolated but reflect a disturbing pattern in Islam, wherein Muslims intentionally violate sacred spaces and traditions out of hatred or ideological opposition to other religions. In this case, the targeted desecration of a deity’s idol and the violation of the sanctity of a temple, together, constitute a religiously motivated hate crime. The incident highlights the broader concern of deliberate actions aimed at undermining Hindu spiritual and cultural values, and thus has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
